Back Home
by Melody of Perdition
Summary: Naruto returns to Konoha with lots of surprises awaiting for him. New feelings arise in the Jinchuuriki's heart towards a pale eyed kunoichi. NaruHina, slight KibaHina SasuHina R&R! On Hiatus
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes: It's been a long while since I have written a fanfiction. Most of my stories are about Harry Potter, so this is the first time I will try writing about Naruto. This story takes place after the time-skip in the Naruto show. It will contain certain things about Naruto Shippuden, so be warned. **

**Pairings: NaruHina (eventually), NejiTen, ShikaTema, InoSai (even though he appears after team 8 and Naruto's meeting). Slight KibaHina, SakuSasu (it will be necessary for the story).**

**So let's get going with this story…**

**------------**

**Chapter 1**

After finally rescuing Gaara from Akatsuki, Naruto and his team mates returned to Konoha. When they got to their village, everyone split up so they could all rest down, while Kakashi and Gai informed Tsunade about their mission. Neji and Ten-Ten decided to have a dinner together, since they had started dating just a while before Naruto returned to Konoha. Lee and Sakura returned to the Hokage's Tower, each with their own purposes. Naruto finally felt alone, and decided to take a night walk to remember the little village he had left for two and a half years to train with Jiraiya.

He started walking around a small park, full of trees, among which there was rarely a Sakura tree. The sky shimmered with the stars and the moonlight. The moon illuminated the path among the small park, which showed the benches among it. Suddenly, he sensed a chakra channel, which he knew really well.

Behind a tree following Naruto, was a teenage girl who had long black midnight hair, which reached just above her waist. Her eyes, who shined like pearls under the moonlight, watched her fellow shinobi team mate anxiously. Her body was the right way a male could want but it was covered with a white and lilac jacket and black pants which reached just above her ankle. She wore her black, ninja foot gear, while her weapons rested on a brown box which was attached to a bandage on her right thigh. The young woman's name was Hinata Hyuuga, member of one of the most powerful clan in Konoha. She was a kind, light-hearted, shy person, who always fainted and blushed near the blue eyed boy. She had sensed his chakra channel from her bedroom and decided to go and see him. What she didn't have in mind, was the actual feeling of meeting with him after two and a half years.

After watching Naruto for about five minutes, she noticed that he had disappeared to suddenly feel a hand on her shoulder. The grasp was strong, but at the same time gentle and caring. Hinata turned around, and her face turned a deep red.

There he was, wearing a black and orange jumpsuit, with his cerulean blue eyes gleaming with happiness. He had a big grin on his face, while his whiskers were deeper than when they were two and a half years ago. His canines were larger than any humans' ones and gave him a foxy look. His body was more toned, which gave him a handsome look. He was the guy for who Hinata had fallen in love, his name was Uzumaki Naruto. The reason for his foxy look was unknown for everyone among Naruto's age, but most of the older villagers knew that he was the Kyuubi vessel and despised him, because of the destruction it had caused years ago.

"Oi, Hinata! What are you doing outside at this hour?" – Said Naruto, keeping his grasp on Hinata's shoulder and while grinning.

"H…Hi, Naruto-kun."- Hinata barely said while stuttering, her eyes looking at the ground. While Naruto had gone to train with Jiraiya, Hinata had boosted her confidence and had been able to talk without stuttering, or poking her fingers together, like she usually did. But, with Naruto around, her twelve year old-self seemed to have returned from nowhere.

"Eh, Eh… You haven't answered my question, Hinata." – Said Naruto, his hand still grasping her shoulder.

"Um… I was having-g a n-night walk…" – Said Hinata, still looking at the ground, while blushing slightly. _Naruto-kun is back…_

Naruto grinned and scratched the back of his hand with his right one, while his left one kept resting on Hinata's shoulder. He looked really cheerful; he had finally found someone from the rookie nine who he could talk to.

"Ne, ne, Hinata… Would you mind eating some ramen with me?" – Said Naruto, innocent of Hinata's thoughts, still grinning.

Hinata's head started to swirl… _Naruto-kun… asked me for a date? What should I do? What should I say? Should I tell him about my feelings? What about if he rejects me? Oh my, oh my. _Before she could answer his question, she fell face forward, but never felt the ground. Naruto had noticed Hinata was about to faint, and managed to hold her tightly before she hit the ground. There she laid, the beautiful and shy kunoichi, on the strong and hyperactive arms of Naruto Uzumaki, who was looking at her worriedly.

**----------------**

**TBC**

**Author's note:**

**Yay! The first chapter is done, quite short, but I loved it. Hinata and Naruto finally meet again, after two and a half years! Please leave a comment… Was it good? Was it bad? What did I miss? I will really appreciate the reviews!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto…**

**Well I am back, with a longer chapter this time. I can't believe I wrote in a day…I am really inspired, or I have a lot of time to kill! XD **

**I would really like to appreciate your reviews… I hope you continue supporting this story, well then… on with the story!**

**--------------**

**Chapter 2****: Feelings unresolved**

Sakura rested her head on Tsunade's desk, while sighing deeply. Her mission with her old team had exhausted her. She couldn't remember how she was able to stand with them. _Maybe it was because I loved Sasuke-kun, and well... they say love makes strange things. _She sighed again, remembering her old comrade and crush. Sasuke Uchiha was one of the last of the Uchiha Clan, one of the most powerful clans in Konoha, including the Hyuuga's. But Sasuke had decided to join Orochimaru, one of the legendary sannin and the culprit of the attack Konoha had suffered during their first Chunnin exams, to seek for power in order to kill his older brother, Itachi Uchiha.

But now, after having being abandoned by the Uchiha boy, Sakura found herself confused about her feelings. She had missed Naruto terribly during his absence and now that he was back, she felt different around him. Yes, he had grown taller, and looked more handsome… but she just couldn't decipher what she was feeling at the moment.

_Maybe I... No… It can't be I still love Sasuke-kun! That's why I have been training, in order to recover him from Orochimaru._ – The pink haired Kunoichi thought.

**_Stop lying to yourself! You know you love Naruto now. He is kind and always cares for you; he has always been there for you. Just accept it! Cha!_– **Her inner self tried to reason with her.

Tsunade was looking really worried about her apprentice. She had been on that state, since returning from her mission. She seemed confused, but at the same time scared about something. Tsunade was the Fifth Hokage at Konoha, also known as one of the legendary sannin. She seemed to be on her late twenties but, in fact, she was in her late fifties. She had been trained by the Third Hokage himself, and was the grand-daughter of the First Hokage. Her teammates during her genin stage had been Jiraiya and Orochimaru. Tsunade sighed and looked through her big window at the whole village of Konoha. _Some things never change…_

**--------------**

Hinata opened her eyes slowly, trying to remember what had happened to her. She tried to move, but felt a strong grasp on her waist. She looked around and saw Naruto's sleeping form holding her tightly. He seemed very peaceful, and seemed to be protecting her from the whole world. His back was resting on the trunk of a tree, while his forehead rested on top of her head. Hinata noticed that she was on Naruto's lap and turned a bright shade of pink. Suddenly, Naruto opened his blue cerulean eyes and stared at her. Hinata was beginning to get lost in his blue pools, while he grinned and kept holding her.

"Ne, Hinata. Are you alright?"- He asked, worry evident in his voice.

"Um... I am fine, Naruto-kun. I-I just p-passed out." – Hinata smiled tenderly at his worry. _Some things never change, right Naruto-kun?_

Naruto chuckled slightly, remembering when they were still genin. He remembered how the Hyuuga girl used to get sick near him. _Maybe it's because of the Kyuubi. _He stopped chuckling and looked dead serious. His gaze left Hinata's pearl eyes. He was starting to feel depressed about being a Jinchuuriki, who had the kyuubi sealed inside of him, that he didn't notice that he had stopped holding Hinata. She had already stood up, while her back faced him.

"Uh, N-Naruto-kun… What a-about tha-at r-ramen?" – She asked, turning slightly red, a small smile appearing on her face.

He quickly turned his gaze at her back, her curves more noticeable than before, not even her jacket could stop him from looking at her figure. He smiled slightly, while he stood up from the tree, just then noticing that it was a Sakura tree. He remembered the way he had always pursued Sakura, since his academy days. But after two and a half years, you start thinking about your feelings, and Naruto realized that he only thought of Sakura as his little sister. He stood in awkward silence, remembering the past, forgetting that Hinata was right in front of him waiting for him.

"Uh… N-Naruto-kun?" – Hinata asked, turning to look at her old crush.

"Sorry Hinata, I spaced out for a bit. Let's get going!" – He raised a fist to the air and the grin returned to his face. Hinata couldn't help but laugh at Naruto's childish behavior. He started walking beside her, looking at her face through the corner of his eyes. _Hinata… You really have changed. You are really pretty. _Without noticing, he put an arm over her shoulder and smiled at her. Hinata looked really nervous when she felt Naruto's arm around her. She turned her gaze to the ground, slightly remembering the past events of the last two years.

They kept walking around Konoha, enjoying the silence of the small village surrounding them. Naruto kept glancing at Hinata through the corner of his eyes. Konoha seemed more alive and beautiful than most of the days, but it must have been because it was the witness of Naruto's feelings towards Hinata. He had never noticed her, not in the romantic way he had thought of Sakura. He had always seen Hinata as a friend and comrade, nothing more. But now, everything was different. She was more attractive to him, she had always been so kind and gentle…but most importantly, she had always been there for him. But for a reason, he felt as if she was out of reach. He felt as if there could never be an "us". It seemed as if Hinata was just a dream, nothing more.

After what seemed like hours of silence and walking around the village, they finally reached a Ramen stand named Ichiraku. Naruto got really excited and started jumping up and down, finally letting go of Hinata. They entered the ramen stand and were greeted by an old man, dressed in a white outfit, smiling broadly as he saw Naruto come into their stand. Next to him, was a young girl, around her twenties, she had brown hair and brown eyes. She seemed to always have a smile when she saw her best customer around but today, seemed to be a special day.

"Hey Naruto! It's good to see you again, and you brought your girlfriend. How sweet!" – Ayame said, squeaking in delight.

Hinata turned a deep red, while looking at the ground, quite embarrassed of what the young woman, named Ayame, had said. Without Hinata realizing it, Naruto was in the same situation as her.

"Ayame nee-chan! What are you saying? Hinata is only my friend, I don't like her. I mean, I mean… I don't like her in _that _way." – Naruto said quickly, waving his hands in front of him, blushing furiously.

"Oh… sorry"- Said Ayame, looking a bit disappointed about the whole situation.

After an awkward silence, Naruto and Hinata sat down on the counter. It didn't pass a long time before the owner of the stand took their orders and started preparing them. Naruto was about to start a conversation with Hinata when a voice interrupted him.

"Naruto! Long time no see. Hey Hinata-chan, I have been looking for you."

**-----------**

**TBC**

**Author's notes:**

**Muajaja Cliffhanger! I have decided I will upload the next one until I receive at least 10 or 15 reviews. I am kinda bad... but please help me with this story!**

**Ok… I have a few reviews I have to answer so here they are:**

**Unclejoex3 and UzumakiHinata7: Thanks for your support! Hope you liked this chapter**

**Chronostorm: I would like to tell what will happen with the KibaHina, but that will be until the next chapter XD. Thanks for your comment! **

**Um… If anyone of you is curious about my strange form of writing, is because English is not my first language. I hope I don't make lots of mistakes, so I will keep checking the chapter before uploading. Keep reviewing… was it good? Was it bad? What did I miss? How can I get better? Any ideas?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**Well, I am back with a new chapter. Thanks for all of your reviews; I will answer them in the next author's notes. Enjoy!**

"…" – talking

_… (Italic)_ – Thoughts

_**"..." (Bold and Italic)**_ – Kyuubi

**-----------**

**Chapter 3 **

The blonde cerulean eyed man stared in shock at the new arrival at Ichiraku's. He had red marks on both of his cheeks. The man standing before them wore a grey ninja outfit, with the black ninja foot gear, which allowed people to see his toned muscles. In his forehead, he wore the ninja headband, which showed he was a ninja from the same village as Naruto and Hinata. He had a grin plastered in his face, while with the help of his canines gave him a doggy look. His face was tanned but it gave him a nice look that most women would love. _Kiba has changed…and a lot. _Naruto thought, while Hinata was the first to react to the new appearance of their comrade, Kiba Inuzuka.

"Kiba-kun, what's wrong?" – Hinata smiled sweetly at the Inuzuka kid, while blushing furiously. _She didn't stutter… and she has that sweet smile on her face. What the hell happened while I was gone? _Naruto thought deeply, staring at the couple. They had known each other since their genin times and both where on the same team, along with Shino. Kiba had always shown a kind of love towards Hinata, giving them a look of brother and sister. But something seemed different…

"I am fine, Hinata-chan. Oi, Naruto! Are you alright?" – Kiba asked and answered Hinata, while waving a hand in front of Naruto's face.

"Eh… What did you say?" – asked the blonde, quite confused about the current situation between both of his friends. _Kiba never added the honorific to Hinata's name._

"Baka! You were flying around, maybe thinking about when you become Hokage." – Said Kiba laughing, while Hinata giggled at Kiba's comment. "But it's been a long time since we met; how has everything been?''

"Fine, fine… I was just going to have ramen with Hinata, you see!" – asked a really excited, blushing Naruto, remembering he was going to eat the most delicious ramen in the world in company of Hinata. _Hinata…_

"Oh… is that so?" – asked an intrigued Kiba.

"Hai. I was walking around Konoha when I met Naruto-kun." – exclaimed Hinata, never tearing her eyes from both men.

"Mmm that explains it. But Hinata-chan, you forgot about what we were going to do." – frowned Kiba. _We were finally on good terms, but this baka had to return. Kuso!_

Hinata blushed into new shades of red no one ever thought would exist. She seemed nervous and at the same time anxious and worried.

"Uh…um…Sorry, I forgot Kiba-kun" – said the pale eyed girl, while looking at the ground.

"Don't worry, Hinata-chan. It will be another time." – said a grinning Kiba, while his eyes showed that he was sad about the whole situation.

Hinata stood up from her stool and walked until she was in front of Kiba. She hugged him tightly, her arms going around his torso, while caressing his back. Both Kiba and Naruto looked taken aback by Hinata's action. Kiba returned the hug, his arms around her waist while his chin rested on her head. Meanwhile, Naruto seemed really pissed about Hinata's action towards the dog boy. He was having a mental conversation with himself and the kyuubi, which had become his best friend during Naruto's training with Jiraiya.

_That Kiba, how dare he! But wait, why am I so mad about this? They are on the same team; maybe it became quite normal while I was gone. _

_**You know you are jealous, kit. Just steal her from him, she's yours. **_

_What do you mean? Hinata is my friend, she is a shy, strange, but a beautiful woman… from where did that thought came from? _

_**You are starting to like her, and you know that. **_

_Me? Like Hinata-chan? Oh man… _

_**Je, since when is she Hinata-chan? **_

_Um…Um… _

Naruto returned from his conversation with the kyuubi, when Hinata and Kiba stopped embracing each other. _Stupid kyuubi. He is just annoying me. I don't like Hinata-chan… I don't! I really don't!_ He realized that both of his companions where blushing and smiling to each other, which made Naruto feel a pain on his chest. _What was that about? _

"Um…Naruto-kun? Are you alright, you seem kinda distracted…" – said Hinata, finally looking at him, big worry in her pale eyes. Those Hyuuga eyes were clear windows to her emotions. You could sense the way she felt, if she sad or happy, angry or worried. They were as pale as two big pearls. But her eyes were special among the whole Hyuuga clan, which most shot cold glares at everyone who they claimed to be inferior.

"I am fine, Hinata-chan!" – Naruto said excitedly, suddenly feeling a light blush adorning his cheeks. _I added that honorific, now Hinata is embarrased while Kiba looks like he is about to kill me… Stupid Kyuubi! _

The Hyuuga woman seemed to notice and blushed more, if possible. Kiba frowned at Naruto's action, looking confused while glancing at Hinata, who had started to play with her lilac jacket.

"I am sorry, I am sorry, Hinata! Let me take you to a hospital, you look like you're gonna have a fever." – babbled Naruto, standing up from his chair and patting Hinata in the shoulder. She started feeling light headed and fainted. Before she could hit the ground, Naruto managed to hold her by wrapping his arms around her waist, while looking at her angelic face. _Such an angel, Hinata-chan… _

**----------------**

A pink haired kunoichi was walking in the main street from Konoha, thinking about her feelings towards both Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki. The three of them had been teammates since they were twelve, but after Sasuke left to gain power everything changed between Naruto and her. He kept promising her that he was going to recover Sasuke no matter what, that it was a promise of a lifetime. She smiled at the memory of when Naruto, along with some of the rookie nine and Gai's team, left to recover Sasuke from Orochimaru.

_Flashback _

_"Narutooo!!!" – A pink haired, twelve year old started running towards the front gates of Konoha. At the sound of his name, a spiky blonde hair boy, from around the same age, turned to look at her. _

_"Sakura-chan…" – he mumbled. He had always felt a big crush towards his teammate, while she was head over heels for their missing comrade- Sasuke Uchiha. _

_"Naruto!"- yelled Sakura, reaching the gates of Konoha, looking for his teammate, panting like if she had run a marathon. _

_"What is it, Sakura-chan?" _

_"Please, Naruto… I beg you, bring Sasuke-kun back!"- She yelled at him, tears rolling down her cheeks while hugging herself. _

_"Don't worry Sakura-chan! I will bring Sasuke-teme back. It's a promise of a lifetime."- He said while doing the pose Gai and Lee usually used, grinning at her. _

_"Naruto…"- she looked at him, no more tears falling. - "Thank you…" _

_Naruto, along with Kiba, Choji, Neji, and Shikamaru, left disappearing into the horizon with a new purpose – rescue Sasuke and bring him back home. _

_End of Flashback _

Sakura kept smiling during the whole trip around Konoha, not realizing her blonde friend, who had blue eyes had started to walk next to her, a smile on her face. She wore a purple top that matched with her skirt of the same color. She wore a net around each of her thighs with the normal ninja black footgear. Her hair was combed in a ponytail; a strand of hair fell across her face.

"Hey forehead, what are you smiling about? Are you remembering Sasuke-kun?"- said Ino Yamanaka, a medic ninja and part of the Yamanaka clan which was able to control people's minds. Sakura seemed to be in wonderland, she had a big grin on her face while her eyes seemed to be determined about something. _I must do something, before she slams her big forehead in someone's butt. _– Ino thought while laughing softly, finally breaking the trance in which Sakura seemed to be.

"Ino-pig! What are you laughing about?" – said the pink haired kunoichi, who had a small smile on her face, while looking at her best friend and rival.

"Well, I am laughing because of that stupid face you had…Who are you thinking about, Sasuke-kun?"- said the blonde kunoichi, who knew about Sakura's never ending crush on the Uchiha, smiling mischievously.

"No, Naruto…" – said Sakura, her eyes had a twinkle in them while she kept smiling.

"Uh, right… Naruto? What about him?" – said Ino confused about her friend's odd behavior.

"Have you noticed? He's much taller and muscular…"

"What are you talking about? Don't tell me you think he is handsome. Sai is much more handsome than that Naruto baka."

Ino started babbling about her boyfriend, Sai. His family or clan was unknown, but he always tried hard to understand other people or what implied to have emotions. He usually wore a fake smile, but being with Ino made him truly smile. "Naruto is not an idiot…but I think that… I love him, Ino…" – said Sakura, looking at the horizon where the moon shone above them. Reality came to Ino when she heard the words Sakura said and couldn't believe it.

"What?!!!!!!!!!!"

**--------------**

_Hinata-chan is so cute… I think I love her… _- Naruto smiled tenderly, looking at the kunoichi in his arms. He ran the back of his hand through her forehead pushing away a few strands of hair that covered her face. Kiba looked like he was about to kill the first one that entered the Ramen stand. His eyes were glaring at the blonde in front of him, who had his arms wrapped around Hinata and was caressing her. _My Hinata! _

Kiba started feeling jealous because of Naruto's odd behavior towards Hinata. He seemed to be taking all of her features like her face, her curves, her scent, but specially, her lips. Suddenly, the Inuzuka man couldn't take it any longer and walked next to the couple. Naruto stared in shock when he noticed that Hinata was being taken away from his arms. _Please! Give her back… _Just then, he realized that Kiba had Hinata in his arms in a bridal-style way and was walking outside of Ichiraku's.

"Wait, Kiba! Where are you taking her?" – said Naruto, walking next to his comrade.

"I am taking her to the Hyuuga compound. Neji will take care of her, don't worry. It's not like I am going to do something to my girlfriend, you know." – Kiba said, not looking at Naruto, his eyes on the full moon. He started walking towards his destination, Hinata's home, not realizing the way Naruto looked like if he was about to collapse. _Girlfriend? What the hell is he talking about? _

Konoha's streets were empty, looking darker than they were before. The moon just shone, giving a bit of light towards both Sakura and Kiba, the ones that were determined to keep their lovers. Even though, no one realized that a pair of red eyes with black twirls in them watched every move of the pink haired and blonde kunoichi.

After paying for his meal at Ichiraku's, Naruto started walking around Konoha, thinking about the events of the night. _Why did Kiba call Hinata his girlfriend? Why does it seem like I can't be happy when I finally realize my true feelings? _

_**Patience is a virtue, kit, and it's the thing you lack the most. Just wait for the right moment. **_

_For what? What will happen in that moment? _

_**You will see… **_

Naruto looked at the sky, full of shimmering stars and the moon giving Konoha a beautiful view. It seemed a quiet night in the village, the way he remembered. _Sasuke…Where the hell are you? _Just when he was about to walk inside his apartment, he spotted a pink haired kunoichi running to him. She had a blush in her face, while her green eyes shone a twinkle in them. _Sakura-chan?_ When he was about to ask her what was wrong, she brought her lips to his and kissed Naruto passionately. Her arms started wrapping around his neck, ending the space between them. Naruto was about to pull back when the image of Hinata smiling passed through his mind. _Hinata…_He wrapped his arms around her waist, returning the kiss and remembering the woman that had captivated his heart since the moment he met her again. _Hinata-chan._

"Naruto… Sakura… It was time something happened between you…" Naruto and Sakura broke apart, looking at the raven haired man standing in front of them, his red eyes looking at him, with a smirk over his face.

"Sasuke…"

"Sasuke-kun…"

------------------

**Chapter 3****, finally ****done. Ok, the ones that wanted a one-sided KibaHina sorry, I will explain Hinata's feelings towards Kiba in the next chapter. The good thing is I finally introduced Ino and Sasuke. Wondering why he returned? I will explain next chapter, too. I love to be a cliffhanger!! Muajaja! The NaruSaku was added, but it's only a one-sided love so… sorry to the NaruSaku fans. Also, I must say I am sorry because I couldn't upload this chapter in the afternoon, but it had some mistakes I had to arrange.**

**Glossary:**

**Baka: Idiot**

**Hai: Yes**

**Kuso: Damn it!**

**_To the reviews I have recieved..._**

**Michaeldragon, Rasenganfin: Thanks for your support!**

**Dark Damsel: Thanks for the support about my language... I kinda think I sometimes mess up with the grammar, but I hope I keep improving.**

**Chronostorm: lol Thanks**

**Hope you all liked this chapter, I will upload the next one when I have around… 20 reviews So, any comment will gladly be accepted and answered in the author's notes. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters.**

**Hey there! Hope you enjoy chapter 4 of my story: Back Home!**

… _**(Italic and Bold) - Inner Sakura/Hinata's flashback thoughts**_

"…" _(Italic) - Flashback dialogues_

… _(Italic) - Sakura's thoughts/ Flashback_

"…" (Normal) - Dialogue

**----------**

**Chapter 4**

"Hn, seems you haven't forgot about me." - said the raven haired man standing before them. He wore the usual Sound Village outfit with a katana on his back. Naruto and Sakura stared in disbelief at their lost comrade. Sakura still had her arms around Naruto's neck, while Naruto kept holding the pink haired kunoichi by the waist.

"Why are you so surprised? Keep kissing, I don't give a damn." - said Sasuke to the other two. Realizing what the Uchiha had said , Naruto ended the embrace between him and the pink haired kunoichi.

_What the hell?! Wasn't I kissing Hinata-chan? _"Why the hell are you here, Sasuke?" - asked the blonde, not quite voicing out his thoughts about the pale eyed kunoichi.

"What? Aren't you glad to see me around Konoha?" - retorted Sasuke with a smirk on his face.

"Of course we are Sasuke-kun, you finally decided to return! That's great!" - said Sakura, staring at his old crush with a mixture of disbelief and joy, while she was having an inner debate in her mind.

_**He is more handsome than before…**_

_What are you talking about? I just KISSED Naruto! I GAVE HIM my FIRST kiss!_

_**Well, you can't deny he is handsome, tall, and evil… Just accept that you made a mistake to move on before Sasuke returned. **_

_God, I wish I could kiss Sasuke-kun._

_**What did you say? -smirks.**_

_Uhm…_

_**You still love him, CHA! **_

"Don't think I am back because I felt remorse. I am here because Itachi is on the move." - said Sasuke, his sharingan eyes returned to his dark and abysmal ones.

The air was full of stress at the moment the name Itachi was said by the young Uchiha. Leaves flew around them, the whole street was empty besides Team 7. Sakura stared at Sasuke in shock, while Naruto gazing at the ground in depression.

"He is coming, right?" - said the blonde, the hint of depression in his voice.

"Yes, and you will need my help."

"Why do you want to help, Sasuke-kun? Is it because you want to avenge your clan's death?" - said the pink haired kunoichi.

Sasuke grunted, the smirk on his face had faded.

Sakura sighed and looked at the rest of her team. _He is worried about Naruto, but as always he doesn't show it. _"We must inform Tsunade-sama, she might be able to help."

Sasuke sighed for the first time, frowning at the thought of _Inform. _"Hn, I guess so…"

"That means we will have you for a while, right Sasuke?" - said Naruto, getting over his depression and looking at the bright side.

"Hn"

The three of them started walking through the main street towards the Hokage's office, all of them remembering the old times when they were twelve year olds. Naruto and Sakura had a big grin on their faces while Sasuke had a small smile gracing his lips. _Some things never change…_

**---------**

At the Hyuuga compound, Neji held Hinata in his arms, taking her away from the young Inuzuka and closing the door. He was part of the Hyuuga branch family but had a good relationship with the head of the Hyuuga clan, Hiashi, and his daughter, the young kunoichi that laid in his arms. He had long brown hair, pulled in a low ponytail. He wore the forehead protector of Konohagakure and the usual ninja footgear. He was dressed in a black and white kimono.

Neji took Hinata to her bedroom and laid her on her bed, pulling the lavender covers over her. He left the room, not making any noise to let her rest. He moved through the house until he reached in his own bedroom. The walls had a light blue touch while many weapons lay on the floor. His bed was the same color, while next to it there was a small desk.

Neji stared at the five photo frames that were on the desk. Two of them were of his team, one from when they were genin and the other one was just recently taken. Both of the photos had Lee and Gai with the guy pose both of them usually used; Tenten smiled in a sweet way while Neji gave a small smile.

Another one was of himself with Hinata, her sister and her father. Hinata was smiling innocently in the middle of Neji and her father while they gave a stern look. In front of her, was young Hanabi Hyuuga with the same cold gaze that most of the Hyuuga clan gave. Next to it, another photo frame was of himself, when he was young, next to his father. Both of them were smiling, this gave Neji a bittersweet sensation. He missed his father dearly, but had to die in order to protect his brother, Hinata's father, from the death judgment. Finally, he turned to the last photo frame and grinned at the sight. It was of himself and his girlfriend, Tenten. Neji had an arm around Tenten's shoulders, while she hugged him by the waist, both of them smiling. _Tenten…_

He sighed and climbed to his bed, resting for another day.

**--------**

The sun shone next morning, birds chirping that were flying above the little village of Konoha. People were starting to climb out of bed and start to do their normal duties. There was a scream in one of the mansions around Konoha, the Hyuuga Compound.

"Naruto-kun!" - yelled Hinata. She had woken up after what seemed to be a nightmare for her, cold sweat was covering her whole face, her eyes slammed shut remembering what she had seen.

_[Hinata's dream_

_Hinata was walking through Konoha, a gift wrapped in her arms, smiling cheerfully. Today, she was going to visit Naruto and give him a welcome back' gift. Suddenly, she halted in front of the blonde's apartment. Sakura and Naruto were both kissing each other, rather passionately. His arms were resting on her waist, while Sakura's were wrapped around his neck ending the space between them. Hinata stared in disbelief, but had an odd sensation of being watched. She turned around and saw a raven haired young man, with red eyes. _

"_Sasuke-kun?" - whispered Hinata in her shy way, looking at her companion who had joined her to watch the whole scene._

"_Hn…Those two." - said the young man, never taking his eyes off the couple. They had started to make out in the street, the only ones watching them were Sasuke and Hinata. She started sobbing uncontrollably at the sight, but more loudly when she noticed that both of them were entering Naruto's apartment, smiling as they kept kissing._

_[End of Hinata's dream_

She started sobbing after remembering her dream. _Naruto-kun was kissing Sakura-san! _She sat on her bed, hugging her knees while her face rested between them, sobbing uncontrollably. After a long while, she decided to forget her dream and realized that she was still dressed in her ninja outfit. _What happened? I remember I fainted but felt strong arms around me. Were they Naruto-kun's? _She started blushing different shades of red, her gaze on the window next to her bed. _Or where they Kiba-kun's? _She stopped blushing and looked around her room, trying to recover memories from last night. _One of them should have brought me home and probably Neji-niisan carried me to my bedroom._

She got up from her bed and sat on her bedroom's window frame. _Kiba-kun…_ For Hinata, things had changed during Naruto's absence. She had started being more confident about herself and even managed to gain her father's approval. She was no longer weak and shy Hinata. She had changed and it was all thanks to Kiba and Shino, mostly the first. Kiba had always been there for her and in one of Konoha's festivals, he had confessed to her that he loved her.

_Flashback_

"_Hinata, I have something to tell you…" - said Kiba. He and Hinata were walking through the festival that Konoha held once a year. He wore a gray kimono, while hers was lavender with butterflies in it. She had her hair in her usual low ponytail, but pinned by a butterfly clip Neji had given her as a birthday present. _

"_Sure, Kiba-kun. What is it?"_

_Kiba looked around him and found an empty bench next to the street in which they were walking. He led her towards it and sat next to each other_

"_Umm… I don't know how to say this Hinata…" - said a nervous Kiba, never in his life feeling that way. His hands were playing with each other, while he gazed at them. Hinata made no sound, wondering what Kiba was going to say to her. He usually was pretty confident and didn't care about what others thought, but at that moment he looked vulnerable and shy._

"_We have known each other for a long time." - he said but continued when he saw, through the corner of his eyes, Hinata nod. "I have always thought of you as a sister, but my heart always tells me something else. I have known for a long time, Hinata-chan. I love you more than a sister. You are my best friend, and I wish we could take the next step." He sighed and looked at her, she looked rather shocked at his confession. "I love you, Hinata-chan. Would you be my girlfriend?"_

_She looked as if she was about to faint like she used to do, but her strength let her keep conscious. She had never thought of Kiba in a different way than a best friend, or even a brother. But the more she thought about it, the more sense it made. Kiba had always been there for her, even when she had her crush on Naruto, which hadn't disappeared after two years of absence. He protected her from different people, such as her father and the enemies that they encountered in their missions. But she still loved Naruto! **What if he never comes back? **There was always a little voice in her head that asked this, but at this moment she realized that that thought could become true, she wasn't certain. **Anyway, Naruto-kun hasn't realized what I feel for him. What if I just… just move on? **_

_Kiba had already stood up, her long silence seemed to have given him the answer he was waiting for. _

"_Don't worry, Hinata. I know you still love Naruto." - he said, starting to walk away until he felt a small hand over his shoulder. _

"_Uhm… I-I…." - stammered Hinata, while Kiba looked hopeful._

"_What is it, Hinata?"_

"_Yes, Kiba-kun, I am willing to start going out with you. Just give me time to forget about… him." - she smiled at him, while he yelled in happiness and embraced her tightly. **I just hope I am doing the right thing.**_

"_Don't worry Hinata. I will always wait for you."_

_End of Flashback_

During the last six months, Hinata had never been so happier. She went out with Kiba, but most of the time, Naruto was on her mind. _What is Naruto-kun doing? What has he learned with the legendary sannin, Jiraiya? Will he come back soon? Is he okay? _But then, he showed up and confusion arose inside of her. She liked Kiba and the way he treated her, but she still loved Naruto even after a long time. She sighed and got up from the window frame, to go and shower herself and get ready for another day in Konoha.

**---------**

Kiba lay on a field just behind his house, next to his best friend, Akamaru. The dog had grown a lot since Naruto's absence and had started to feel left behind when Kiba started dating Hinata. Even dogs felt, that's what most of the Inuzuka clan would say.

Resting his head on the cold grass, Kiba looked at the clouds remembering Hinata. Her smile, her pale eyes that were so kind, he loved everything about her. But, Naruto returned. _Ugh… Naruto…_ Kiba always had in his mind that idiot, but not because of the same reason as Hinata. He knew that when Naruto returned, things with Hinata would start getting complicated, even though the blonde didn't notice her feelings. He knew that Hinata still thought about Naruto, because of the way she looked at the sky, the way she seemed to space out once in a while, and her frequent visits to Ichiraku's Ramen. Kiba sighed and looked at his best friend, resting his cheek on the fresh grass.

"I just wish everything could be just like before Naruto arrived."

Akamaru started barking, Kiba understood everything the dog said, that was the specialty of his clan.

"I know you miss me a lot, Akamaru. But you must understand I love Hinata-chan…." - said Kiba, looking back at the sky, with a big depression in his face. Akamaru barked in response and Kiba sighed again.

"It's just that Naruto is back, Akamaru. We both have smelled his essence. I just think Hinata will leave me to go after him."

Kiba heard footsteps coming in the way he was, but he just closed his eyes. The footsteps halted just next to his face and started shifting.

"You know, Kiba-kun. We should go to have lunch together, ne?" - said a sweet voice for Kiba's ears. Akamaru started licking the toes of the young lady, who wore white sandals. Kiba opened his eyes and gazed into a pair of pale eyes, the girl had a smile on her face, while looking down at him.

**-----------**

**Woah, I have started making the chapters longer! I am happy for myself . Haven't done that in a long time… Not this length, anyway. Thanks for all the reviews! I think I exaggerated the amount of them, so I uploaded. Sorry I couldn't upload sooner. This chapter had a bit more of things xD I am happy for that! Well, hope you liked it. Sorry if some of you die because of KibaHina, just bare with me! It will be worth it! Time to answer reviews!**

**NarutoHinatax3: lol I know what you are talking about! Sakura is so annoying . Thanks for your review! **

**Chronostorm: Thanks for your review! I hope I explained Hinata really good. She is just trying to forget about her feelings towards Naruto by dating Kiba, but things just don't turn out the way she thought when Naruto returns. x) Hope you liked it!**

**naruhina4343: lol thanks... it seemed quite impossible to get 20 so I think I really exaggerated. Thanks for reading!!**

**RasenganFin: I hope I explained really well why Kiba and Hinata are dating. Thanks for your review x)**

**DarkDamsel: Thanks for your comment! **

**Hope you review this chapter! Leave your comments, congratulations, suggestions, what you didn't like, everything! I will answer them all! x) Well then, until next chapter! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but if you are Masashi Kishimoto please give it to me!**

**Chapter 5 is up now! Sorry for the delay, school is giving me a lot of homework. If I make mistakes, please send me a message and I will arrange them! So, on with the story.**

**-----------------**

**Chapter 5**

"Hinata-chan? What are you doing here?" – asked Kiba, gazing at the pale eyed kunoichi. She was wearing a white, knee length, strapless dress that allowed everyone to drool because of her curves. The dressed moved with the waves of the wind, making everyone imagine what was beyond what could be seen. Her hair was tied in the same low ponytail but with a butterfly clip holding it down. Her sandals were was white as the clouds. In general, she looked like an angel for Kiba.

"What do you mean? Why shouldn't I visit my… my…" – Hinata tried to say _boyfriend_, but then she remembered Naruto, the way he smiled to her and always had that confidence that made her fall in love with him. She knew she couldn't rip Naruto from her heart, he was always there since the very moment she opened her eyes.

She looked around herself and smiled at the landscape that surrounded her. This was the place Kiba used to hide from reality and play with Akamaru. His house had big terrains surrounding it because the Inuzuka clan took care of dogs, from small ones to huge ones. Hinata felt herself free when she visited Kiba, she knew he liked to feel free, that's what she liked about him. _But I don't love him…_ Those words always echoed through her mind and heart, as she felt a familiar pang in the latter.

_Poor Kiba-kun, I wish I could love him… But I don't want to see him so sad, like how he looked before he noticed I arrived._

Kiba closed his eyes again, wishing Hinata could just disappear but knew that she wouldn't, that was reality. _It's just that I don't want to see Hina-chan right now; everything thanks to Naruto baka._

"So, are we going to have lunch together?" – said the Hyuuga girl, the same plastered smile, the one she only gave him everyday they saw each other, the one Kiba received before Naruto arrived. But he noticed that that smile had a slight hint of sadness.

**-----------------**

A happy, pink haired kunoichi walked through Konoha's main street. In one arm, she carried a light brown paper bag, which was heavy because she was carrying groceries in it. She was going to help Sasuke restore his old life before he became a missing-nin.

Tsunade-sama had accepted him on certain conditions, and one of them was for him to allow me to take care of him until he gained Konoha's trust. The Uchiha seemed annoyed but didn't complain about anything. Why would he? He was going to have the opportunity to kill Itachi. Anyway, after retreating from the Hokage's tower, Naruto insisted that we should celebrate because of Sasuke's return. Of course, Sasuke-kun left, but I had a little while with Naruto. I sighed. _Naruto… What am I supposed to do now? I hate this confusion…_

Sakura kept walking towards the Uchiha compound, were Sasuke had re-installed. Not bothering to look around, she didn't notice the couple that was walking towards a park in the middle of Konoha near Sasuke's house, with a basket and a blanket for them to enjoy an uneventful lunch.

**-----------------**

_Ugh…__I ate too much ramen yesterday… _

Naruto hadn't been able to sleep properly, and it was all thanks to the fact that he ate too much ramen because he decided to "celebrate" Sasuke's return. But, of course, Sasuke-teme decided that was just too boring for his own good. So, Naruto ate his ration plus Sasuke's. Of course, he could call the event without Sasuke a date with Sakura, but he didn't want to. _I just wish I could ask someone else…_

His suddenly new found emotions towards a petite, pale eyed kunoichi reminded with him every second of the day. He was experiencing something he hadn't felt for anyone, not even Sakura. He felt so attracted to Hyuuga Hinata, so trapped with her sweet smile that seemed to have appeared so suddenly.

Naruto had never noticed how beautiful Hinata was. She was so calm, sweet, caring, everything he had always hoped for; everything he had always wanted Sakura to give him. _Sakura-chan… _After all the years he had been chasing Sakura around, he suddenly found that he didn't care about their kiss. Sure, it had been nice and all, but it just wasn't Hinata. _Why did I kiss her, though? Was it because I remembered Hinata?_

Surely, that was the reason for his lips meeting Sakura's, not Hinata's. He suddenly had the impulse to go and find Sakura to sort the kiss thing out. He had to tell her that it was a mistake and that was all. _She will not care, though. Sasuke is back!_

That was the best part of all for Naruto: Sakura will chase Sasuke, while the teme will be worried about running away from his fan club. Then he, Naruto, will get Hinata in his arms and kiss her. Suddenly, Kiba will come into the picture and try to hit Naruto, but the blonde is just too powerful for him, that Kiba will end up beaten into a pulp. Then, of course, Hinata will hug him tightly and kiss him on the lips. _Yep, that's what is going to happen. - _Nodded the blonde, giving that foxy grin to no one in particular.

_I must find Sakura-chan right away!__ She must be with Sasuke-teme._

**-----------------**

_Laughter_

_Jokes_

_Smiles_

_Small kisses_

_Yeah, everything is back to normal. _Kiba and Hinata were enjoying their picnic in Konoha's Park. The pale eyed kunoichi, being the excellent cook she was, prepared the food. _I am full!! I love her cooking! _Kiba would always exclaim to her how wonderful she was as a cooker. Akamaru decided to give the couple some privacy. _Thanks boy, I owe you one. _

Hinata seemed to be enjoying herself next to her boyfriend. Both of them were just relaxing because they didn't have any missions. Shino would always come out of the shadows and ask them if he could join them. Of course, Hinata and Kiba knew what he meant with that question. Instead of saying _"May I sit with you?"_ In reality, it meant _"If I sit with you, will I be interrupting something?" _Shino had started to feel left out since Kiba and Hinata started dating, but they always assured him that that wasn't true. They would always be a team, no matter what.

But this sunny, bright that at the Park, seemed to be only made for Hinata and Kiba. They were amongst couples who had the same idea as them, but they didn't care about them. It was just the two of them, trying to forget everything about the past night. Well, it was only Kiba who was trying to forget that.

Hinata, on the other hand, seemed not to be able to. She was having trouble forgetting Naruto's return and her dream. _Stop Hinata! It was just a dream. You shouldn't care though, you have a boyfriend! _She always tried to lie to herself, but she knew that her heart always thought of Naruto and only Naruto. She often spaced out for a bit, but came back before Kiba noticed. She loved the Inuzuka guy, but only as a friend or even a brother. _Poor Kiba-kun, he deserves someone better than me. He deserves someone who loves him back. _

The pale eyed kunoichi started to feel uneasy; she felt a pair of eyes watching them from behind. Kiba smelled _his _scent.

_Why now?!_

**-----------------**

Naruto was walking through the main street of Konoha, humming a happy and slow song. He suddenly stopped in front of the Yamanaka's Flower Shop. In front of it were Ino and Sai – _kissing._ Ino had her arms around Sai's neck, while he had his around her waist.

"Oi! You two, get a room!" – yelled the blonde, irritated at the sudden affection between two of his precious people.

This didn't stop the couple kissing each other, neither Mrs. Yamanaka's screams about _putting the family reputation in the sewers. _

Naruto just sighed, he couldn't blame them. But why was he so furious about it? Was it because he wanted to have the same with a certain someone?

He kept walking, almost reaching Sasuke's home until he noticed a certain couple in the park. The guy had an overprotective arm around the girl's shoulders, while she kept playing with her hands that lay graciously in her lap. He wore normal jeans with a black shirt, while she wore a beautiful white dress that over lighted her pale skin.

Naruto suddenly had the urge to smash something. There she was, Hinata Hyuuga, being hugged by someone else that wasn't himself. _Kiba will get paid for this! _

Suddenly, the couple turned to look at him. The Inuzuka looked furious, while the Hyuuga girl looked bewildered.

The blonde appeared in front of Kiba and was about to strangle him when a strong arm threw him towards a tree, away from the couple. Hinata started screaming while Kiba tried to calm her down.

**-----------------**

**Finally!! I had time to upload. I am really sorry for the delay… two weeks! OMFG! I hate school! . I will keep trying to upload sooner x) Don't worry.**

**Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter. By the way, the reviews I answer are the ones I received for the last chapter. If you want me to answer yours, please review the last chapter x). "**

**Answers to different reviews I received for chapter 4:**

**RasenganFin: ****I guess so, but please be patient. Thanks for your review, though x)**

**Taintedlegacy, mlkool86: ****I also want to get to that point!**

**NarutoHinatax3: ****He thinks Sakura is Hinata because he was thinking of her and wished she could be the one with him, not Sakura. I hope you get my point lol. **

**Chronostorm: ****I know. It's just that there are hints why she decided to side with Kiba. Hope you liked this chapter!**

**DarkDamsel: ****I also like both of the main pairings! You will have to keep reading if you want to see who Hinata stays with. I like SasuHina a bit, but this fanfic is just KibaHinaNaru, so yeah. Ok, why did Sasuke told Naruto about Itachi? That's because he knows that his best friend/rival is in danger and because if he stays with him, he has the opportunity to kill his older brother. Of course, Sasuke will keep his idea of killing Itachi alone, so don't worry x) Also, Sasuke killed Orochimaru earlier than in the manga, so most of the sound-nin are afraid of him. Hope I explained you really well!!**

**Back Home stats:**

**Favs: 7**

**Alerts: 18**

**Reviews so far: 22**

**Thanks for everything guys!! Hope you bear with me until the end of "Back Home"! **

**Goodbye, for now.**

_**Snow Astrum**_

_**…A dream that comes true is no real dream…**_


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine… but if you are Kishimoto-san please give it to me! It's my birthday!

"Normal" – talking

_Italics – _thoughts

_**Bold and Italic **_– Kyuubi/Inner personalities

**----------**

**Chapter 6**

_Ugh… where am I?_

_**Stupid brat… you should learn not to trust your instincts, as they awake me from my slumber.**_

_What do you mean?_

_**That kid… you were going to strangle him… remember?**_

_Oh yeah… Kiba! Who does he think he is?_

_**Uhmm… maybe he really is your mate's girlfriend?**_

Naruto awoke bewildered at what the kyuubi was saying to him. What if the kyuubi was right? _No, no. Stop thinking those things, Naruto! _

"… That Naruto-baka! Who does he think he is to strangle me? (Cough) What if he wounded Hinata-chan?! Would you allow that Neji?" – said a voice, that appeared to be Kiba Inuzuka's.

"Of course I wouldn't Kiba; you know I care for Hinata-sama." – said a strong, but quiet voice that appeared to be Neji's.

A small, quiet voice that made his whole body shiver added: "Remember that it's Hinata-nee-san, Neji-nii-san. Naruto would never hurt me, I trust him. Maybe he just got… got… I don't know. Maybe he got confused?" – The last statement turned to be a question that neither Kiba nor Neji heard her say.

Naruto started groaning, he knew that the trio wouldn't stop talking about him until he got up and explained things. Kyuubi was right, he was jealous. _Very jealous. _He hated to see Hinata with another person that wasn't himself.

_**Can you call yourself a person, kid?**_

_Stop it, Kyuubi! I know who I am, and you are the creature that is under my protection. I am not you, and you are not me._

_**Hmph… that's not what everyone in Konoha thinks.**_

Naruto couldn't think of an answer towards the Kyuubi's thoughts. He knew himself thought that was true. Everyone in Konoha doesn't want to be near him because of the Kyuubi. They are terrorized that the creature that killed many innocents could return and take over his own body. He groaned and opened his eyes slowly, only to find him shut them down because of the strong light that came from the sky. He felt a shadow above his head and smelled that sweet and familiar scent of lavender.

"Naruto-kun? Are you all right?" – whispered the sweet innocent voice of his crush, even maybe loved one, Hinata Hyuuga.

The blonde opened his eyes slowly and found himself lost in those white pools of hers. He turned fairly red at how close the two of them were from each other. Meanwhile, Kiba and Neji watched the whole scene from afar.

"Yeah, I am all right, Hinata-chan. Oops… sorry Hinata." – said Naruto, while rubbing the back of his hair with a big grin on his face.

"Its okay, Naruto-kun… Uhm… Y-you c-can call me-e Hi-inata-chan" – said the young woman, a faint blush creeping in her cheeks.

The four of them, busy with their own jealousy and love, worry and jokes, didn't notice that they were being watched by a pair of red eyes that showed that they had watched many deaths in the past.

**----------**

"SASUKE-KUN!! Stop hiding from me!" – yelled a pink haired kunoichi, at the whole clan manor were no people could be found. This was the place were Sasuke had decided to return after his reconciliation with Konoha.

_-Sighs- I am so tired of this… It's always the same with Sasuke-kun. Why can't he just accept that he will be with me a-l-w-a-y-s. –Sighs- Like Shikamaru would say "How troublesome"_

_**You know you love this idea, right? I mean… he is your Sasuke-kun! He is the reason why you got stronger and, please admit it, grew up. You are no kid anymore thanks to him.**_

_You maybe right, stupid inner self, but that doesn't matter anymore. I've got to find Sasuke-kun right away._

_**You still love him! CHA! **__**–Singing- Sakura and Sasuke underneath a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G. **_

Sakura groaned at her own thoughts, her own inner self was so stupid. _**HEY, did I heard that? **_She decided not to answer the question, and kept looking for Sasuke throughout the whole Uchiha manor.

**----------**

"Hey you, Naruto baka! What the hell do you think you were doing when you were trying to strangle me?!" – yelled Kiba at the blonde when he was dusting himself after getting up from lay in the grass.

"That's none of your business, Kiba." – said Naruto hatefully. He had never wanted to kill someone from his comrades, never! Why was Kiba so different? _**Because he has something you want to have. **_They Kyuubi purred to him in his thoughts, trying to take him into his lair deep in Naruto's mind.

"Naruto! You should stop acting like a child. Kiba and Hinata-sa… Hinata-nee-san were on a date." – said Neji, explaining to Naruto what he thought the blonde was unaware of.

"I know that Neji, thanks. I mean, you can get the feeling that was what they were doing when you see them kissing or hugging."- said Naruto, his voice still full of hatred towards one of his comrades.

"KISSING?! Kiba… You said you were not going to-" – yelled Neji, realizing he was the one unaware of certain things. He was about to activate his own bloodline limit, the byakugan, when Hinata stood in front of him and Kiba.

"Neji-nii-san, you should know that that's what couples actually do. You do it quite often with Ten-Ten-san, why shouldn't I?" – said Hinata, full of courage and determination in his eyes but also with a calm and serene attitude that made Neji calm down.

Evidently, when things start going just well, something has to happen. That's what happens to the four members of the Rookie Nine and Team Gai.

"You should stop acting like kids…" – came a voice out of nowhere, making them turn around. The first thing they noticed was that his eyes were completely red, with some dark twirls in them. Naruto was the first to react at the appearance of the guy with a black cloak with red clouds.

"Itachi… Uchiha…"

"He is an Akatsuki member, be careful!"

A new battle with an old enemy was about to begin.

**----------**

Phew… quite short the chapter! I am sorry… that's the best I can do right now. Anyways, I wanted to thank all of you because of your support! I love you guys. I decided to update on my birthday… The moment I felt free from homework I started writing! So, here it is. Hope you enjoyed it. I will answer reviews of last chapter in the author's notes of the next chapter. Hope you review me!! I need some encouragement! Please stay tuned!

Snow Astrum

[…A dream that comes true is no real dream…


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. (Depression) All of it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, except the plot of course.**

**Chapter 7**

_I know it… __**He **__is near… I sense that bloodlust, those eyes that have seen death._

Sasuke was running as fast as he could towards the familiar chakra channel he had sensed just minutes ago. He knew who it was. The one he had always searched for had finally arrived to Konoha. _And God dammit! He is near Naruto, I must hurry. _He kept running, his mind racing. He had to help Naruto; if his best friend died, everything would be his fault.

**----------**

"So, you decided to show up, Uchiha Itachi?" – said the blonde haired ninja, quietly pushing Hinata behind him. _I have to protect her; I wouldn't forgive myself if something happens to her._

The black and red cloaked man smirked at Naruto's instinct – _protect his girlfriend. _But of course, love can do wonderful things, but it can also be full of sorrow and pain. He perfectly knew that.

"Dear Naruto why are you interested in protecting her? She is dating someone else, isn't she? Why should you protect her, it's her _**boyfriend's**_ duty." – Itachi smirked evilly; he knew Naruto's weakness – loneliness and love, both of these feelings always together.

The blonde growled at the Uchiha's words. _How dare he talk about love if he killed his own parents?_ "You don't scare me, you know! Believe it!" – yelled Naruto at the Akatsuki member.

"I know, but you should take a look at your friends." – said the quiet, silent venom of his voice. Naruto looked over his shoulder: Neji showed calmness, but Naruto knew that he was slightly scared, while activating the Byakugan to be ready for the fight. Meanwhile, Kiba seemed eager to start a fight – he wanted to discharge all his fury on someone, holding a handful of shurikens. But Hinata, sweet and caring Hinata, seemed completely shocked but was eager to fight if needed. In her right hand, there was a kunai which waited to be used. Naruto smiled silently, he knew he could count on her since the Bikouchuu (sp?) mission. _I will think of Hinata__-chan__ later, I must hand Itachi right now._

"You are here to take me, aren't you? Then leave them out of this!"

"Indeed, I am here for you Naruto-kun. Another reason of my return to Konoha is the rumor of my brother having returned."

"Looking for me, Itachi?" – said a cold, full of hatred voice.

The Konoha ninjas turned their heads towards the owner of the voice. His sharingan already activated, Sasuke coldly stared at his older brother. He had already controlled his own breathing after running for a while, searching for his brother and his comrades. _I am glad I was able to make it on time. _

"Long time no see, Sasuke."

**----------**

_-Sigh- Papers, papers, and more papers. I hate paperwork! Why do Hokages have to do this job? They should have specialized people working on paperwork. Why does Shizune stress me with this? More importantly, why the hell does Naruto want this job?! It's so frustrating…_

Tsunade was so exhausted after so much paperwork. She had already finished a pile an hour ago, but, when she was about to drink tea and take a nap on her desk, Shizune had appeared with more paperwork. _Geez, I am going to complain to the Elders. Maybe they can do something about it. _

Suddenly, a bang opened her door, turning it into a million pieces while her young apprentice – Sakura- entered her office.

"Tsunade-sama! Sasuke's gone missing, I can't find him!"

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN HE IS MISSING?" – yelled Granny Tsunade in a _you dare to interrupt my nap for your love interests' _voice.

"I am serious, Tsunade-sama. Sasuke's gone missing, I haven't seen him." – panted Sakura, a hand on her chest trying to control her panting.

"Have you tried to look for him using your chakra?" – exasperated the Fifth Hokage.

Sakura fell anime style, she hadn't thought of it – not in the slightest. She felt quite dumb, maybe on Naruto's level. This dumbness was the fault of her inner personality; she had been bugging her about her feelings towards Sasuke. _At least, I hope, he won't be lost anymore._

**----------**

"Itachi!" – Roared Sasuke, while holding collecting energy on his hand, clearly preparing his ultimate attack – The Chidori.

Naruto was about to follow Sasuke's actions by forming his Rasengan, when he felt a small hand on his own, clutching it tightly.

"Naruto-kun, wait." – whispered his secret crush, _my Hinata-chan._

"What is it Hinata?" – exclaimed Naruto, just as low as Hinata's voice. The blonde noticed she had already activated her Byakugan, her bloodline limit. _I had forgotten how scary she can look with those eyes. _

"He isn't Uchiha-san."

"Uh?!!! What do you mean?! He is Uchiha Itachi, the same stupid, old jerk who thinks he is better than anyone. But I will show him, wait and see." – Naruto was about to return to the battle when he felt Hinata's arms around his waist.

"P-please, Naruto-kun, l-listen to me. He isn't Uchiha-san, because it is a clone." – said Hinata on his back, her warm breath sending chills up to his spine.

"Uh…eh… S-so, what should we do?" – Naruto _**stuttered**_, while holding his breath, hoping Hinata wouldn't release her hold on him.

"We must rescue Sasuke-kun; he is in danger of any technique the clone can use."

Neji appeared from behind of them, which made Hinata release her hold on Naruto. _Dammit _– thought the blonde.

"Don't worry about Sasuke or Kiba, I already knocked them out with a Chakra string. Kiba was rather difficult to control, with his beast rage and everything, so I had to smack him on his head."

"Good job, Neji!" – yelled Naruto, cheerfully.

"Naruto-kun! Neji-nii-san!" – sighed Hinata, trying with all her chakra to control her giggles. _No point._

"Anyway, what will happen to the clone?" – asked Naruto, rather happy but disturbed at the same time. _I like Neji, he is a great person. Yup, he won my respects._

"Anbu are been informed to deal with Itachi's clone." – A quiet voice said from behind.

"Pssht, how troublesome. We can't even walk around _**our **_own village."

"Sai! Shikamaru!"

**----------**

**Phew, no more worries! New chapter uploaded. Yay! I had exams, I am really sorry. Gomenasai! But, the completely new chapter is already uploaded. Responses to ****reviews have already been answered, so please read the **_**Author's Notes.**_** Please read and review, I need all your comments about this fanfic! For all those people who help me with their reviews, thank you! For all of those people that add ****me**** as a favorite author or favorite story, thank you so much but I would really really reaaaaaaaaally appreciate if you review. Everyone, take care!**

**Always your writer, SnowAstrum.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: -sighs- I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. **

**Chapter 8**

Neji, Naruto, and Hinata stared wide eyed at the pair that had appeared to control the whole situation. Suddenly there was a sound of birds flying, and they could see the crows that formed Itachi's clone. Naruto couldn't help but feel worried – Itachi already knew that he loves Hinata. His greatest weakness was the pale eyed young woman in front of him.

Shikamaru seemed to notice the hyperactive ninja's silence and said: "I will take Naruto for a while"

"Isn't it too troublesome for you, Shikamaru?" – asked Sai to the lazy ninja.

"Eh, I know! But I have to speak with him about his birthday!"

"But he's birthday is on…oh!" – said Hinata, but noticed Shikamaru's knowing look. "Neji-nii-san! Sai-kun! Let's get Kiba-kun and Sasuke-san to their respective homes, they need rest."

"You're right, Hinata-san." – said Sai, while Neji nodded solemnly. Both of them took one of the knocked out guys and puffed away, leaving a cloud of smoke behind them.

"So Naruto, what's wrong?" "What are you talking about, Shikamaru?" – answered Naruto, his eyes focused on the Hokage mountain.

"You've been quiet since you encountered Itachi."

"I-I… It's just that I am worried."

"About him knowing you are in love with Hinata?"

"H-How?!" – Stuttered Naruto, he never thought someone would be able to realize his feelings towards Hinata.

"The way you stare at her yells to everyone I am in love with Hinata Hyuuga!'"

Naruto felt miserable. Shikamaru had been able to see underneath his mask to see his true feelings. Who says that the pale eyed girl wouldn't notice his feelings as well? The blonde frowned and sighed, while looking at the ground. He was worried Itachi would use Hinata to trap him in order to obtain the kyuubi.

"Psht, don't worry Naruto. Why don't you tell your worries to Tsunade-sama?"

_Hope…_

* * *

_Naruto-kun… What is Shikamaru-kun up to? Your birthday is on October! That's two months away. OMG! Two months?! What am I going to give Naruto-kun for his birthday?! Oh my, oh my… I completely forgot about his birthday! I hav__e to think of th__is carefully._

"Hinata-chan? What's wrong?" – asked the Inuzuka boy. He had just woken up and was shaking himself to be fully awake.

"Eh? Nani?"

"You look worried… your eyes say so."

"Hinata-sama, Kiba is right. You feel alright?" – asked Neji, still carrying a knocked-out Sasuke over his shoulder.

"Um, I am alright. What about Sasuke-san?"

"He is still knocked out." – answered Neji.

"Today's events were difficult to absorb for him. He met his brother and couldn't do anything." – said Sai.

"Yeah, you're right."

The group continued walking until they reached the Uchiha compound, where they let Sasuke rest in his bedroom. Suddenly, Sakura appeared out of nowhere, looking relieved of finally founding Sasuke and worried because he was unconscious.

"Sasuke-kun! What happened to him?! Is he alright?"

"He is fine, Sakura-san, nothing to worry about." – said Neji, his calm voice making Sakura start boiling in anger.

"Why do you say it's nothing to worry about?! Look at him! He is unconscious! He must go to the hospital right now!" – yelled the pink haired kunoichi, not taking her eyes off the small group that was in Sasuke's room.

"Uh… what happened?" – groaned the young Uchiha, a hand on his head with his eyes closed. His mouth was twitched in pain, his head was throbbing and he couldn't grasp his surroundings.

"SASUKE-KUN! Are you alright?! Please speak to me, I was so worried! I searched for you in the entire village and didn't found you! Where were you?! Remember that you have to keep being near me; that was the condition Tsunade-sama put over you…" – Sakura babbled and yelled at Sasuke.

Hinata, Neji, Sai, and Kiba started retreating towards their homes before Sakura remembered that they were in the room. They thought it was the best for all of them to keep the secret from her about Itachi's visit at Konoha.

When Sasuke was finally able to shut Sakura's mouth, by calling her annoying, the both of them turned to shift their gaze around the room, only to find it completely empty.

_Geez… that group left me alone with Sasuke-kun without telling me what happened._

_**You just said it… A-L-O-N-E**_

_Baka!__ Stop bothering me, Sasuke-kun could be wounded._

_**Well then, go on and check him. – said inner Sakura with a perverted grin on her face.**_

Sakura blushed at her thoughts, but Sasuke didn't notice. He was extremely quiet. He didn't like the idea of being stuck with Sakura and the fact that he had lost Itachi again. _He will pay! I will make sure of that._

_Revenge…_

* * *

Hinata was wandering around the streets of Konoha. She had told the group that she needed time to think, and they didn't argue about that. Neji was going to, but Tenten appeared behind him to distract him which allowed Hinata to escape from her cousin's grasp.

_Even Kiba-kun is comprehensive compared to Neji-nii-san._

Hinata giggled at her thoughts, but suddenly came back to reality when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She gasped and turned around, only to see the blonde's foxy grin.

"Hey Hinata! What are you laughing at?"

"Oh nothing, Naruto-kun."

"Oh, I see. Hey Hinata, Tsunade-baa-chan told me to look for you. She has a mission for us!" – said Naruto, his grin going wider. _We will be on the escape of Itachi AND we will be together! It's my only chance to let Hinata know my feelings. YOSH!_

Hinata nodded her head and walked side by side with Naruto towards the Hokage Tower. During their walk, Naruto kept glancing down at Hinata with his hands on his pockets and a small smile on his lips.

_Why didn't I ever notice her?_

_**Well kit, that's simple. Yo**__**u were a stupid, knucklehead**______**and **__**dense ninja that was so focused in being a Hokage (which you haven't accomplished**____** by the way)**__**, and still ARE.**_

_Psht, you're just mad that you'__re trapped inside me… WAIT! I am not stupid __or dense or a knucklehead._

**The ****kyuubi**** started cackling: **_**You really are slow.**_

_What are you talking about? I am not any of those things you said… well, thought. I am handsome, funny…_

**The Kyuubi couldn't help but roll his eyes at Naruto's vanity.**

"Naruto-kun? Naruto-kun?" – said Hinata, worried that the blonde wasn't answering to her calls. He was completely absorbed in his thoughts and wasn't looking where he was going. "NARUTO-KUN!"

When Hinata _yelled,_ Naruto got out of his trance only to bump into Rock Lee, who had been walking around Konoha while talking to a squirrel.

"YOSH! Naruto-kun! The lovely springtime of youth surrounds you completely! I feel you're in love with a lovely lady. Who might she be?"

"AH! Fuzzy Eyebrows! What are you doing here? WAIT, what the hell are you talking about?"

"I was asking you if I could know who you are in love with, Naruto-kun! You seem completely absorbed that you're not even enjoying the beautiful springtime in Konoha."

"Eh...Eh…um... W-well, I-I was… yeah! That… I was…."- babbled Naruto, completely lost of words. He thought he was being completely "quiet" about his feelings towards Hinata, especially around her. But he also had to keep in mind that Shikamaru had been able to see his true feelings. _A__t least Shikamaru, the most intelligent ninja aroun__d Konoha (I__ should remember tha__t)__ told me he had caught me when Hinata wasn't around. __Stupid Fuzzy Eyebrows, Hinata-chan will realize I love her! I can't let her know my feelings right now… it will have to wait until we are out of this Village full of crazy people._

Hinata and Lee started _giggling _at Naruto's loss of words. Naruto looked at both of them and started laughing nervously, enjoying Hinata's giggles while thinking seriously if Lee was gay. _He should be… I mean, that green suit, his eyebrows, that way of combing his hair, and now his giggles! Yep, I have decided it… Lee is gay…__He must be in love with Gai-sensei! _Naruto started throwing up in his mind when images of Gai and Lee kissing or even their kids!

After having said goodbye to their "strange" friend, Naruto and Hinata continued their journey towards the Hokage Tower while talking with each other. When they finally arrived, Hinata was about to knock the door, when Naruto barged into the room with a foxy grin on his face.

"Tsunade-baa-chan! I am here!!!!!"

"NARUTO!! WHAT THE HELL?! HAVEN'T YOU EVER LEARNED TO KNOCK A DOOR?!" – yelled the Fifth Hokage and Sakura's teacher. When she spotted Hinata, who was right behind Naruto completely scared of Tsunade's shouts, she relaxed and smiled at the young kunoichi. – "Hey there, Hinata-chan. How are you doing?"

Hinata had never seen the Hokage change her attitude in a split of second, even though she still had a small vein on her forehead. _She must really be mad because of Naruto's childlike attitude. Why does everyone __feel he is annoying__? I think he is funny._

"Um… Konnichiwa, Hokage-sama. I've been good, thank you."

"Stop with your fancy greetings, Tsunade-baa-chan! Tell us what our mission will be!" – yelled Naruto, who had lost his patience after hearing Tsunade's yelling vs. Hinata's quiet voice. _And nice… and beautiful… and melodic… and…_

_**Stop with your shit, kit! This is serious. You must remember who is after her because of **__**your 'I must protect her' attitude.**_

_Pssht, you're so annoying… you know that, right Kyuubi?_

_**But you, kit, are the Champion of Annoying Kits.**_

_Yay! I am a champion! Woohooo... HEY WAIT A MINUTE!_

_**evil laugh**_

_That's not fair, Kyuubi._

"OI! NARUTO! STOP DREAMING!"

"Ahh, what the hell?!" – asked Naruto after hearing those loud and horrible shouts.

Hinata started giggling at Naruto's distraction; it was easy for him to stop thinking correctly. She liked the idea of having a mission with him, truth to be told. But she couldn't also help but feel guilty about enjoying Naruto's company, instead of hanging out with Kiba. _My boyfriend… _She thought depressed. _Why did I give him an opportunity?! Now everything is more difficult for me… I always knew Naruto-kun would return, but I guess I grew tired of waiting a long time. After all, I've been in love with him since we were in the Academy, but he always thought of Sakura-san._ Hinata sighed with the dream she had the night before in her mind. _Sasuke-san returned… I wonder if what happened was real._

Hinata returned back to reality when the Hokage stopped punching Naruto's head and Shizune entered the office with a stack of papers that were landed on the Hokage's desk. After Shizune left the office, Tsunade returned to her business-like mode.

"Your mission is to travel to the Water Country and help a small Village solve the disappearances of the Villagers' children. This is a B-Ranked mission, which is my reason to send only the two of you to solve this case. It will take you approximately 7 days to arrive to the village and to solve the case you may need weeks or even a month to recover the children that have gone missing. Is that clear?"

"Hai!" – answered both of the young ninjas.

"Then of you go! You leave tomorrow morning. Go and pack what you think is necessary for the mission. Rest enough, because this will be a long mission."

Hinata and Naruto left towards their own houses, in order to pack for the upcoming mission. When packing, both of them kept thinking about the journey they were about to take together:

_Yosh! A mission with Hinata-chan!_

_Naruto-kun… What am I capable of doing when it's only you and me during a long-term mission?_

Next morning, they both met at Konoha's gates and left to start a new journey – _together_.

_Love…_

* * *

_**Hey there, guys!**_

_**Well, I am back! I had been planning this chapter for days! **__**But…**__** I don't know, I guess I am starting to have a writer's block in this story. But I will keep writing, no matter what. Even if I don't update for long periods of time, I will keep writing. As you can guess, I am finally out of school so I can update and write a bit more. Ok! Now let's answer some reviews!**_

**YingYangTwin1: ****hey there! ****x)**** Thanks for your comment! I hope I keep writing with correct grammar and spelling!**

**DragoonTidus: ****hey there, thanks for reading! I am glad you liked last chapter and yup, Itachi was a clone! Well, hope you keep reading!**

**lil.ramen.lover****, Taang-more-than-an-orangedrink: ****Thanks for your reviews, I will keep updating!**

**GoingGhost: ****Hey there! Thanks for your comment**** x) I also liked a lot that scene. So, yeah… Thanks!**

**Chronostorm:****Thanks for your comment. Concerning your review, yup, Itachi's clone was one of those that are seen in Shippuden and in the Manga. About Sasuke and Kiba, that was part of the story, so yeah… sorry! I will keep working to get a better story done**

**Unclejoex3: ****I know that last chapter was quite short! It's just I didn't had a long time to write it, so I did the best I could in an hour or so. I will keep working now I have more free time. So yeah… sorry!**

**Dustori: ****Thanks a lot! x) I also hate that my chapters are veeery short, but I will keep working in the next ones! Thanks for reading!**

**Moonchildserenity: ****lol sorry, Itachi was a clone and he didn't appear to kidnap Hinata. Naruto actually thought this time XD Woot! I also love Hinata and NaruHina XD Thanks for your review!**

**Taintedlegacy: ****sighs Sorry, the real Itachi didn't showed up this time. But he will appear, I know! I had been waiting for Tsunade to assign them the mission, so Naruto and Hinata will have certain difficulties during their journey. Thanks for your review!**

**Silverdragon15: ****I don't know why you thought you were so critical, I liked a lot your review. It gave me an idea of what my errors were and how I have to pay close attention to the details. Itachi, as you said, is very close to the clone but none of the characters sense him, because they are more worried about the fake Itachi that showed in front of them. For the Naruhina, yes it will happen. Chapter 8 is just the beginning of the whole story, so I ask for your patience! Please! After reading your review, I returned to chapter 7 and realized that I had really forgotten some of the characters and that it was quite a stupid way of writing. I will ****be double checking the story from now on. Thanks for your review!**

_**Hope you all liked this new chapter and I will keep posting from now on. I had been waiting for this scene to come! Keep reading and reviewing. Send me all your comments, doubts, critics, etc. I will gladly accept all of them!**_

_**Thanks for everything, and if I don't update soon: MERRY CHRISTMAS!**_

_**Always your writer, Snow Astrum**_


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I bet you know it by heart**

**Chapter 9**

Autumn's breeze gently allowed the flowers and the leaves of the trees dance with its melody. Nothing disturbed the peaceful moment the sun gave to the young man and woman, who glanced at each other once in a while. Naruto and Hinata were walking next to a small river, enjoying the view of the breeze moving the water and some fishes that jumped from the water, dancing with the rest of the nature, as a welcome party to the couple.

Sighing, both of them were starting to get tired after a long time of walking in silence. Naruto, being the most hyperactive, knucklehead ninja in Konoha, was starting to get anxious and annoyed at the silence that had befallen them. Hinata, on the other hand, was silently working on not fainting, for being _alone, _next to _her precious Naruto-kun._

The breeze allowed Naruto to see Hinata's blue midnight hair dancing with the breeze, while her eyes kept focused in the ground. The blonde showed a small smile on his lips, he had a chance to let Hinata know his feelings. His smile faded. _Even if she doesn't feel the same for me._

He had never thought of Hinata as something else, until he bumped into her that night at the Village. He had never seen her as a potentially, good-looking girlfriend. Oh, Please! He even had thought Hinata was a boy! _But that was until I saw how beautiful she is, believe it!_

The breeze kept moving their hair, until sunrise came. They both knew that sooner or later they had to talk with each other; it was a matter of time.

"Hey Hinata" "Umm... Naruto-kun!" – The both of them said at the same time, after having turned to look at the other.

They started laughing out of embarrassment.

"What did you wanted to say, Hinata?" asked Naruto, who had a slight blush on his cheeks, while he scratched the back of his neck.

"Umm... N-no, d-don't worry. Y-you first N-Naruto-kun." - Said Hinata, who was blushing furiously and her eyes were focused in the river next to the trail they were following.

"Are you sure, Hinata?"

Hinata, silently and out of Naruto's view, smiled. She always knew Naruto was kind and caring, no matter what the other ones thought. "S-Sure, Naruto-kun."

Naruto grinned at Hinata, but he stopped when he heard his stomach rumble. Hinata started giggling, forgetting, for once, her shyness. Naruto turned a brilliant red and kept mumbling to his own, about how he needed to learn to control his stomach's desire for food. They decided to make camp at a clearing that was near the river. The moon was already in its most brilliant moment, when the two of them started eating instant ramen, which, Naruto insisted, was incredibly necessary in every human's diet. After having eaten dinner and arranged their tents, they decided to tuck in, both of them dreaming with one another.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, the sunset could be seen from every corner of the Village. The birds were starting to take refugee in their homes, while the streets were starting to get empty as time passed by. Everything was calm and peaceful, except for the Hokage, who was having problems with one of her Chunnins. _A very jealous one, indeed._

"WHY THE HELL DID YOU LET HINATA-CHAN GO ON A MISSION WITH NARUTO!!" – yelled the young man, who was accompanied by a large, white dog.

"It's so simple Kiba, both of them have skills that were necessary for this mission." – sighed the Hokage. She had been answering the same question for an hour long, and, still, Kiba didn't grasp the idea.

"But… but at least you could've let me accompany them!" – Exclaimed Kiba, his face was completely red because of his anger towards the Hokage and Hinata, who had gladly accepted going on the mission with Naruto.

"WOOF!" – barked Akamaru, who approved of Kiba's answer.

"Of course not! You would've only distracted Hinata and Naruto." – said the Hokage, getting very pissed of at Kiba's childish actions.

"…" – Kiba and Akamaru finally accepted that both of them could've distracted Hinata and Naruto. The Kunoichi would get distracted with Kiba's affections, while Naruto could get easily pissed off by the Inuzuka.

"I'm glad you finally understood, Kiba." – said Tsunade, taking out from her desk a bottle of sake. Kiba and Akamaru understood this was their call for them to exit the Hokage's office and they bid their farewells, before taking off to have dinner at their home. _Finally I can rest a bit- _Sighed the Hokage, pouring some sake from the bottle to a cup that was on her desk.

* * *

_Ugh… I'm feeling a bit dizzy, what happened? Why is everything so dark? Where is Naruto-kun? Is he alright? _

"_Hinata-chan?"_

"_Naruto-kun! What happened?!"_

"_I-I don't know Hinata-chan, I fear we got caught…"_

_I gulped. "Got caught? By who?"_

"_Look, Hinata-chan… I'm sorry I got you into this mess. I will get you out of this, I promise!"_

"_N-Naruto-kun! Don't worry…we're in this together right?"_

_No answer._

"_Right?"_

_No answer._

"_Naruto-kun?!"_

_No answer._

_I felt the tears falling, I couldn't stop them. Fear was everything I could feel, Fear. "NARUTO-KUN!!"_

"Hinata-chan!! Are you alright? What happened?" – Naruto came rushing towards Hinata's tent, with only his pants on. Meanwhile, Hinata seemed to be dazed, after having that nightmare. Her worst nightmare.

"NARUTO-KUN!! Oh my god, you're here! Thank god!!" – Exclaimed Hinata, jumping towards Naruto and making both of them fall, Hinata in top of him. She was crying so hard, not caring for once, if her precious Naruto-kun saw her as a weak person.

"Shhh, don't worry Hinata-chan. I'm here and I will always be." – said Naruto to Hinata, cupping her cheeks, while cleaning her tears with both of his thumbs.

Hinata couldn't stop crying, she had seen her worst nightmare and she didn't want it to happen. After all, her life without Naruto would be lifeless, colorless… loveless. Naruto didn't know what to do with Hinata's fear. He was trapped in her arms, though he didn't mind at all. Why was she so scared to lose him? He kept caressing her cheeks, and that's when it happened.

He kissed her.

And she kissed him back.

And for once, neither of them thought of Kiba, Sakura or anything else. They finally submerged in their own perfect world.

In that perfect, and innocent kiss.

* * *

**Well, it was short, I know… but I wanted to update you guys with something! I was getting tired of knowing that my fanfic was completely paralyzed. I've decided to update weekly from now on, though I fear that my chapters will be as short as this one. I planned that during my Spring Break, which ends today, I would write more chapters for the story, but other plans came out. I'm so sorry! I will update weekly from now on, I promise!**** I have to get over this writer's block I have. Anyways, thanks for the reviews I received! I'm glad most of you liked it, though I realized that the descriptions had been cut off from the story, thanks to the ones who pointed that out. So, I will be leaving for now. Stay tuned!**

**Your writer,**

**Snow Astrum.**


	10. Insomnia

**Disclaimer: I know you know it…**

**Chapter 10****: Insomnia**

Hinata couldn't take it anymore. She was being kissed by her longtime crush! At first, the kiss was innocent and pure, but then it turned out more fierce and full of passion. It seemed they let go of their feelings in that passionate kiss, which lasted for at least 5 minutes, until they needed to catch their breaths.

Naruto, in the other hand, couldn't stop grinning, he had finally "declared" to Hinata, the most beautiful, young kunoichi he ever met in his whole life. Both of them had forgotten the reason that Naruto was in Hinata's tent. The moon's light filtered through the tent's cloth, giving Hinata a bright glow in her white eyes. _That glow is what makes me fall more deeply in love with her. _Her skin was also visible for Naruto, something he could never do, because of the baggy clothes she always wears. Right at that moment, Hinata was wearing a simple, light, white, big t-shirt. He, on the other hand, was only wearing his orange pants, which allowed Hinata to have a great view of his muscular chest. He wanted to touch her, to caress her, to keep kissing her. Hinata felt the same way, and a sentence appeared in their minds at the same time, while they began kissing each other, enjoying the company of each other:

_Everything is perfect_

* * *

He couldn't take it anymore. His Hinata-chan was somewhere in the woods with that Naruto-baka. None did anything to stop them from leaving, not even Sakura, who had forgotten about the kiss she gave to Naruto after Sasuke came back.

He couldn't ask Shino for help, since he always supported Hinata and would give his life to see her happy, with Naruto by her side. He always said something about Naruto always in need of someone kind and caring as Hinata. He also said that Hinata needed someone as Naruto to help her "believe in herself and express her own opinion". _Bullshit!_ Hinata doesn't need someone like Naruto. He was loud, noisy, hyperactive, and stupid, which could lead to his young death.

Everyone seemed to be happy, except him. He was jealous, not happy! He wanted Hinata back, he wanted her to by his side. He realized he needed her to be happy: Inuzuka Kiba depended on Hyuuga Hinata.

_I will bring her back no matter what!_

Konoha fell in complete silence. Black clouds were above the small village, preparing the citizens for an upcoming rain. He had been walking around the Village, thinking of Hinata every second. _Thinking of her might bring her back, but I better go after her! She needs me!_

He raced towards his home, full of determination to bring his girlfriend back to their village.

* * *

Sasuke lay awake in the middle of the night, since he wasn't able to sleep because of the heavy raindrops. He couldn't help but feel worried; after all, Naruto had left without saying goodbye. He had left him, his best friend and rival, basically A-L-O-N-E with Sakura. He knew he loved her, he knew it! But he couldn't stop thinking about what could have happened between her and the blonde. _They are best friends, they are comrades… and Sakura depended on him for a while. She didn't need me, after all. She can depend on Naruto… he will always be there for her… something I can't do. _

Groan.

_Why am I thinking of Sakura? Why the hell am I worrying about her happiness? I don't love her, I know that. I DON'T love her, do I?_

* * *

-Hinata's PoV-

Happy sigh.

I'm immensely happy! Naruto-kun finally noticed me! He even kissed me! Squeal.

This has been such a great night, we kept kissing, hugging, caressing... I sensed something in his touches, a great desire. He made me think he had fallen in love with me for a long period of time, as I had fallen for him, since we were genins.

Happy sigh.

He's hugging me by the waist! He decided to sleep with me tonight. He wanted _to keep my nightmares away. _That small statement, made me realize he cares a lot for me! He doesn't love Sakura-san, I felt it in his kisses. That stupid nightmare about him and Sakura-san kissing was just that, a nightmare. He loves me! He loves me! He loves me! I feel that smile in my face, the smile that had disappeared after he left with Jiraiya-sama to train.

I feel so protected next to him, as if he could keep my nightmares away… Something I have never felt for Kiba-kun.

Kiba-kun!

How will he react to the fact that Naruto-kun and me love each other? Will he be heartbroken? Will he stop being my friend?! No, I can't allow that to happen. I do love him, but only as a friend. Naruto-kun, on the other hand, makes me feel as if everything is alright when I'm by his side. He makes me feel secure, confident, and free of my family's chains. Those chains I have always longed to break. He will break them, I'm sure. He will be free with me, and I will always love him, until the end…

-End of Hinata's PoV-

* * *

Morning arose at Konoha, the birds chirped, the flowers bloomed with the sunlight, and the citizens started their usual routines. Some of them were already exercising, others were starting to open their shops, and some others were finally getting out of their dreams, which was the case of the 5th Hokage.

The doors of her office, where she had slept due to all of the alcohol in her system, suddenly burst open. Shizune, followed by Ton-Ton, Kurenai, and Asuma, stopped in front of the Hokage's desk. Shizune's face wore a worried mask, while Kurenai couldn't support her own weight, due to her pregnancy. Asuma, in the other, held his beloved and wore a face of anxiety, which was a bad sign for the Hokage.

"Tsunade-sama… Inuzuka Kiba left the Village without permission!"

_He went after Naruto and Hinata, that baka!_

* * *

**Well, that was the end of Chapter 9: Insomnia. I received more review time, thanks for your time! I love it when you comment on my story, you make me feel motivated! Every author needs some kind of motivation to keep writing, right? Anyways, thanks for all of your reviews, keep helping this story to come out quite well. I will be updating every two weeks from now on, so I can have more time to write longer chapters! **

**Happy April fool's Day! Hope you enjoy it!**

**Your writer, Snow Astrum**

**P.S. Don't worry, this is no joke, this was the real chapter (:**


	11. Calm before the Storm

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and any of its characters…**

**Chapter 11: Calm before the storm**

"Tsunade –sama?"

The Hokage seemed to have spaced out, thinking critically about her next move to recover one of her missing ninjas.

Finally she opened her mouth and whispered, so only the ones in the room could hear: "Bring Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno."

"B-but it's too soon for him! He is still in custody! He must show he is an ally and a member of Konoha!" – said Shizune.

"And he will show it if we give him the chance! Now go and fetch him!" – yelled Tsunade, which, in response, made Kurenai and Asuma leave the office.

"Are you sure about what you're going to do?" – asked Shizune, slightly worried about the Hokage's decisions.

"I'm not…."

Both of the Kunoichi's sighed deeply. These kind of problems were the ones that Kiba had given to them – the ones they had to face when someone fell in love and that person chased after someone else.

* * *

Naruto snore peacefully beside Hinata, who was already awake. She couldn't help but feel guilty for playing with Kiba's feelings.

Suddenly, Naruto started snoring louder, with a grin that reached both of his ears. Hinata couldn't help but giggle, and start playing with his blonde hair. _His hair is so smooth and beautiful! I love Naruto-kun's hair… I always imagined myself playing with his hair, like this. _Hinata smiled slightly, when she saw that Naruto was starting to wake up.

"Good morning, sunshine" – whispered Hinata, watching Naruto rub his eyes and look around himself. After a while, he turned to look at her, not moving from their position, and started caressing her long indigo locks.

"Good morning, Hinata-chan. Did you have any more nightmares?" – asked Naruto, playfully.

Hinata couldn't help grin a little at his question, he was worried. "Don't worry, Naruto-kun, I slept much better than ever before."

"Awwww, not fair, Hinata-chan!" – whined Naruto, with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, while pouting.

"What do you mean, Naruto-kun?" – asked Hinata, quite perplexed at Naruto's change of attitude.

"I want to stay here, and I guessed if you had anymore nightmares, well…" – said Naruto, blushing furiously.

Hinata couldn't help it either, she started blushing different shades of red. "Y-you don't h-have to ask f-for a-anything, Naru-uto-kun. We can s-stay here, i-if you w-want."

"Then it is settled!" – Said Naruto, who hugged Hinata more tightly, and both of them slept peacefully, enjoying their moments together.

* * *

"Hmph!"

"Oh please, Sasuke-kun… it will be fun! It's been a long time since we had a mission together!" – smiled Sakura at the raven-haired young man accompanying her.

"…" – Sasuke couldn't help ignore Sakura as he had done when he was 12 years old. His nighttime thoughts kept bothering him. Did he love Sakura?

"Sasuke-kun! Stop being that distant, I care for you. What's the matter? Is everything alright?" – said the pink haired kunoichi.

"I'm fine! Just leave me alone" – said Sasuke, walking faster to stop being at Sakura's side.

"Sasuke-kun…" – whispered Sakura, her hands resting above her heart, praying that her beloved Sasuke is alright.

"Sakura, hurry up."

"Oh, right, Sasuke-kun!" - yelled Sakura after the raven haired guy, running after him to be able to reach the Hokage's office and await a new mission.

* * *

Kiba kept jumping from tree to tree, in company of Akamaru. He was near, he could feel Hinata's smell going through his nostrils – lavender. She always would smell to lavender. The sweet and enchanting smell Hinata would always radiate when coming near him. He didn't want Naruto to enjoy her smell, her touch, her beauty. Hinata was his, not anyone else's.

_I'm going to recover her! She is mine. She became mine when Naruto left…_

Akamaru whined.

"Don't worry, Akamaru, I won't do anything bad to her."

Kiba's best friend barked

"I promise!"

_I promise not to hurt her, but who said anything about Naruto's well being?_

The sun was being covered by dark clouds, the air was humid and it blew strongly. It seemed a storm was about to come.

**

* * *

****Woah… sorry I took a long time! I went through a writer's block and my partial exams at high school. Anyway, I just wanted for you to know that I will continue this story! I will not give up! Though it may take a while before I can upload another chapter, since my final exams are coming! – Starts biting her nails – Don't worry, after those exams I will be free as a bird to write more often! XD**

**Please R & R!**

_**Always your writer, Snow Astrum.**_


	12. Meeting with Disaster

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and any of its characters…**

**Chapter 12: Meeting with Disaster**

She couldn't help start rapidly shivering of fear. Even if she was in Naruto's arms, she couldn't stop shivering. It couldn't be because of the weather, since it was hot and she was in her boyfriend's arms. She turned crimson. Yes, Naruto Uzumaki had turned out to be Hinata Hyuuga's boyfriend. It had been a silent agreement both had made, while being asleep and forgetting their troubles.

Naruto started mumbling and talking to himself while sleeping. Hinata couldn't help but start silently giggling. After all, how many times do you lay down with your boyfriend and see him demanding for his ten thousand million bowl of ramen.

_It seems that in his dreams he can eat a lot._

The wind's breeze seemed to enter their tent to allow them to enjoy their first moments together. _The first for many more to come. _

"Ne, ne… Old man! You're forgetting Hinata's ramen! After all, we're on a date and I'm inviting everything she eats in here."

The young woman blushed deeply; after all, she was in Naruto's dreams. If he dreamt with ramen, it was a wonderful dream… and she was in it. At least, that's what she knew.

"Want to share the last bowl of ramen Hinata?"

_Yes, Naruto-kun… I would love to._

"Hinata-chan… you have the most beautiful eyes. To me, your eyes have always resembled a full moon shining in the sky. What I want to say is…"

_Yes? Say it!_

"I l-lo…."

A kunai landed between them, separating Hinata from Naruto and waking up the blonde one.

"HEY! WHAT THE HELL IS THE MATTER WITH YOU! I WAS HAVING A BEAUTIFUL DREAM, YOU BASTARD!" – yelled Naruto, completely annoyed and angry at being interrupted during his sleep. _Damn, I was about to tell Hinata how much I love her! I was going to say it to her one thousand times more! That bastard, who the hell does he think he is?_

_**Start using your brain and your nose, kit, you're in trouble.**_

_What do you mean trouble?_

_**Heh, find it for yourself!**_

"I… It can't be…" – said Hinata, her lip quivering with fear, while her eyes were wide open.

"Hinata-chan, what's wrong?" – said Naruto, turning his complete attention to her, forgetting his opponent.

"It's me, Hinata-chan." – said a familiar voice, coming from the mass of trees.

"SAY YOUR NAME, YOU BASTARD!" – yelled Naruto, pointing with his index finger towards the mass of trees, where nothing could be seen.

"Na-Naruto-kun… it's …" – whispered Hinata. The name of the person, who interrupted the couple's paradise, was blown away by the breeze.

* * *

_Blah… blah… blah_

"And then…."

_Blah… blah… blah_

"And I was like…"

_And more blah… blah… blah_

"Naruto was always there for me, I will never stop thanking him for everything he has done." – said Sakura Haruno, her words finally being caught by Sasuke's mind.

"Hn. That Naruto-baka? Please, Sakura, there are other guys out there." – said Sasuke, looking at the horizon. Both of them had parted from Konoha an hour and a half ago.

"You're implying that I LOVE Naruto? Please, Sasuke, stop joking." – said Sakura, blushing furiously. After all, she didn't like being told that she loved Naruto, even less if it came from Sasuke.

"What?! You know I'm saying the truth… You're blushing!"

"Oh please! I'm blushing because I think you're jealous."

"What? Me? J-Jealous?" – stuttered Sasuke. _I stuttered... damn it!_

"Yes, Jealous! Just admit it Sasuke!" – stopped jumping Sakura, since she wanted to learn why was Sasuke so upset about an imaginary romantic relationship between Naruto and herself.

Sasuke appeared right in front of Sakura, and kissed her in the lips. Sakura's arms rapidly hugged Sasuke by the neck, while his were in her waist, keeping her close to him. After parting lips Sasuke said:

"Yes, I'm jealous of your relationship with Naruto while I wasn't in Konoha, and it's because I love you, Sakura Haruno."

* * *

"YOU?! WHY ARE YOU HERE?! WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?!" – Yelled Naruto, fuming furiously at the unexpected appearance – "You should stop following her, she has grown up and I'm taking care of her."

"Don't speak, Naruto-baka. I know everything is your fault! I know Hinata is cheating on me, because of you. You're the extra in this relationship Naruto, stop saying Hinata you love her. You just like her because of her looks, but I love her because of her personality, her smile, her voice…" – said Kiba, finally stepping into the clearing where the couple's tent lay.

"You bastard!" – yelled Naruto, taking out his kunai and rapidly throwing it at Kiba. The Inuzuka was quick and he moved to avoid it, but ended up in Naruto's trap. A couple of Naruto's clones had prepared a Rasengan for him. The sphere of energy was about to crash with the Inuzuka's body, if it hadn't been for Akamaru's rapid spinning. Both of the energies collapsed, resulting in a loud crash that sent away the nearby trees.

The clones disappeared and Naruto took out another Kunai, this time attacking directly at Kiba. Kiba sensed Naruto's upcoming attack, and took out his own kunai to stop the attack. Both kunais clashed with each other's energy, while Naruto and Kiba glared at each other. They jumped back and took their distance, Kiba using this opportunity to make Naruto angry.

"What's up, Naruto-baka? Are you feeling you will never be able to protect her, like I have done for the past years you've been away?"

"Stop it… Kiba… Naruto" – whispered Hinata, her voice being drowned by the summer breeze.

"Yeah right, what have you done? I bet the greatest thing you've done for her is being quiet for a minute."

"What was that, monster?!"

"W-What did you said?"

"I said: what was that, monster? Are you deaf or something?"

"M-Monster?" – whispered Naruto.

"Oh I see, you hate being called monster. What, you thought I would never figure it out? My whole team has completed the puzzle, the Great Naruto Uzumaki puzzle."

"Kiba, stop it!" – yelled Hinata, finally forgetting her shyness and standing next to Naruto, her left hand resting in his right shoulder.

"Shut it, Hinata. Yes Naruto, you're a monster, after all… you hold the nine tailed fox."

* * *

**-Evil laugh- finally! Chapter uploaded! Hope you liked it! From now on, I will upload every weekend so stay tuned Finally I'm free from High School, so I have a lot of time to kill and a lot of time to spend in this Story.**

**Please R & R**

**Always your writer, **_**Snow Astrum.**_


	13. Bad News

****

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and any of its characters...

Read and REVIEW!

**Chapter 13: Bad News**

"_The hardest thing to do is watch the one you love, love someone else." _

_Anonymous_

* * *

Naruto turned to be able to gaze at Hinata, who was right behind him. "All this time, y-you knew?" – Said the blonde. _No, please say no. I don't want you to leave me. Please, Hinata-chan, say no._

"Yes, Naruto-kun. I always knew." – whispered Hinata, tears falling from her white orbs and her arms hugging herself.

"You knew and you never told me?!" – yelled Naruto. He was afraid of everything that was going on, but he was also mad at Hinata and everyone from Konoha who knew about the nine tailed fox. He was mad at them, because the ones who knew always kept their distance from him and despised him above anything else.

"I-I… I wanted you to tell me when you were ready!" – said Hinata, at first completely scared of Naruto's reaction, but she understood that he needed her more than ever and that it was the moment where she couldn't allow him to believe he was alone. _After all, he can trust me from now on._

Akamaru barked in agreement, while Kiba smirked at the unfolding events. _Soon, Hinata will join me and everything will be the way it was before Naruto returned to the Village._

"…" – Naruto remained silent, trying with all his heart to believe Hinata's words, but he felt he had been ignored all this time by his ninja comrades. _They shouldn't have ignored me just like that. After all, they're talking about me and the Kyuubi, all of this concerns me._

_**Kit, think seriously. Your mate is right, she wanted you to tell her when you were ready.**_

_B-but I didn't want her to find out this way, with that Dog-head talking about you in front of her!_

"I knew… from the start, Naruto-kun. I started feeling suspicious about the Kyuubi. Neji-nii-san also noticed when you fought against him during the Chunnin Exams. The Byakugan also helped us realize that you had two Chakra sources." – said Hinata, reading his thoughts just by looking at his eyes. "Kiba-kun knew you held the Kyuubi, because of the scent the demonic Chakra sent."

"So… Everyone noticed the Kyuubi when I fought against one of you?" – whispered Naruto, his eyes wide open, as he stared at Hinata's white orbs. _The Byakugan…_

"Of course, Naruto-kun. I will never push you back because of the Kyuubi. You are yourself, the Kyuubi is different – it's not you." – said Hinata, smiling at Naruto, reassuring him of her eternal company.

"Yuck, stop being so sweet about everything Hinata. Aren't you worried that the Kyuubi might attack you when you least expect it? What if it gets out of Naruto-baka's control, ne?" – snarled Kiba, his temper about to explode.

"I am not worried, Kiba-kun. I know Naruto-kun will never attack me. He is a good person! He has controlled the Kyuubi for the past 16 years! He will keep controlling the beast that resides within him, I know him. He has never gone and he will never go back on his word." – exclaimed Hinata, blushing furiously as she realized that her small speech had left both of the young ninjas dumbfounded.

"Hi-Hinata-chan…" – stammered Naruto, before giving the white eyed girl a small smile, in gratitude for believing in him.

Kiba couldn't believe what was developing before his own eyes. Akamaru had started barking in agreement with Hinata's statement. He growled and clenched his fists that lay beside his sides, while he kept his eyes towards the ground, his hair covering his brown eyes. Suddenly, he turned to glance at Naruto, who was smiling at Hinata, while holding her in a tight embrace.

_Nothing can end in here! I must do something… or Hinata will leave me._

_**I am such a baka… I know I don't stand a chance against her precious Naruto-kun. I know she has loved him since our Academy days. I don't have a chance neither to have her heart nor win him in a fight. His chakra is so huge, even greater than any of the Hokages. I don't stand a chance, let her go.**_

_But…_

_**No buts. I know she only sees me as a team mate and friend. I must run while I can!**_

_I never run away…. NEVER!_

Before Naruto and Hinata could separate from each other, Kiba had attacked Naruto with a kunai, which landed below Naruto's rib cage. Naruto growled in pain, while Hinata yelled when she felt the warm red liquid, soaking her white and lavender clothes, coming out of Naruto's stomach. The forest became eerie after witnessing Kiba's treachery. The air became stiff, stopping the steady movement of the leaves and the flowers, the animals started running away from the three ninjas, and the rain started to fall, the sky crying for the three broken hearts.

"I'm sorry, Hinata-chan…" – said Kiba, before running away, a whimpering Akamaru on his tail.

"Kiba-kun…" – cried Hinata, before turning her whole attention at Naruto, who was groaning in pain. - "Naruto-kun? Are you ok?"

Naruto smiled a little before answering- "Hi-Hinata-chan… y-you're w-wet…" – whispered Naruto, before drifting away from reality.

"NARUTO-KUN!!" – cried Hinata, before laying her head on his chest, crying uncontrollably.

* * *

"Itachi-san, are you ready to head towards Konoha to capture the Kyuubi?" – asked a voice coming from the shadows in Amegakure. The small room in which the five members of the Akatsuki where having an unexpected meeting was completely flooded in darkness with only a small lamp glowing in the middle of the room. Suddenly, one of the figures rose from the chair in which it was resting a moment ago, the red eyes of the figure glowing in the darkness.

"What makes you think I'm not ready, Pein-sama?" – asked the figure, combing his dark hair bangs with his fingers.

"You will have to face your little brother, Itachi-san." – said another figure, this time a female, whose head held a paper flower through her dark locks. – "Are you sure you can face your brother, even more… kill him?"

"I will do what I must, Konan-san, even if it means killing my little brother." – whispered Itachi, his eyes showing no emotion.

Suddenly, a light blue skinned man stood up from his chair and stood next to Itachi. Both of them nodded at each other, before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

"Are you sure they will manage to capture Naruto-kun, Pein-sama?" – asked the last figure, a red eye coming from behind the orange mask he wore.

"We'll see… After all, Naruto-kun does have a weakness." – said the figure that disappeared in the shadows.

"Hyuuga Hinata, ne?"

* * *

"Sasuke-kun! The rain! What will we do if we lose Naruto and Hinata's trail?" – asked Sakura to the raven haired young ninja who was accompanying her during this mission.

"Don't worry Sakura." – said Sasuke, who smiled before hugging Sakura's shoulders. "We should find some shelter, after all, this rain won't allow us to look after them."

Sakura sighed, she knew Sasuke was right… he was always right. - "T-That's true… We might find a small cave around this forest."

The pair of them kept running before finding shelter in a dark cave, where Sasuke used his fire techniques to keep them warm.

"Do you think they're alright, Sasuke-kun?" –asked Sakura, moving closer to Sasuke, resting her head on his shoulder while hugging his waist. Sasuke turned to look at Sakura's closed eyes, before hugging her shoulders and resting his head above her head.

"I don't know, Sakura… I don't know."

They kept hugging each other, while resting their backs in the cold walls of the cave, letting the tiredness they felt take over them.

* * *

It was late night in Konoha when Tsunade started worrying for her five young ninjas. She had received a report from the civilian village closest to Naruto and Hinata's destination. They had reported a heavy rainstorm around the area. That was enough to make the blonde worry for the young ninjas. She sighed before pouring some sake into the cup and quickly drinking the liquid that made her throat burn, allowing all the worries to slip away.

Who would've thought that Naruto was in danger with just a simple rainstorm?

Suddenly there was a knock on her office door. She sighed before allowing the unexpected guest in. The brown door opened and a trio of Anbu ninjas came into view, being followed by Shizune, who wore dark bags under her eyes, quickly allowing everyone to see she hadn't been able to sleep for the past days. The three of them bowed respectfully before the Hokage's desk.

"What is your report, Takeshi-san?" – asked Tsunade to the ninja in the middle of the group.

"Hokage-sama, we've some bad news." – said the Anbu named Takeshi, his voice sounding full of grief behind his Anbu mask.

"What is it?" – asked the Hokage, fully aware of the seriousness of the situation, entwined her fingers, while she rested her elbows on the desk.

"Hokage-sama… Uchiha Itachi and his companion, Kisame, have been seen near the Village's borders."

"WHAT?!" – yelled the Hokage, getting up from her chair and slamming both of her hands in the desk in front of her, not being able to register the information in her mind.

"We fear Konoha might be under an Akatsuki attack." – said Takeshi.

One of the ninjas that was accompanying Takeshi bitterly said- "And they're searching for Uzumaki Naruto, Hokage-sama."

The Hokage didn't listen to the last affirmative coming from Takeshi's team mate. She was worried for Konoha. Akatsuki wasn't an association to be taken lightly.

"And…" – the third ninja quietly spoke – "They've warned us that we must hand in Naruto before they kill every civilian of the Village."

"H-How did they warn us?" – asked Shizune, an amused expression in her face.

"They…" – Takeshi sighed – "They wrote a warning note in Maito Gai's corpse."

"What do you mean?" – asked Tsunade, a dumbfounded expression on her face. _Maito Gai… dead? No, this can't be._

"What I mean… is this." – said Takeshi, while handing the Hokage a photo of the corpse of Rock Lee's teacher.

"Oh no…" – whispered the Hokage and Shizune at the same time, not being able to take their eyes away of the picture.

The photo displayed Maito Gai's corpse, a pool of blood around him, while his eyes were wide open towards the viewer, showing no emotion. His body was positioned in a cross position, while his mouth hanged wide open. His green latex clothing had been torn apart, while, in his chest, there was a message written with capital letters.

_GIVE US NARUTO-KUN AND WE WILL STOP THE UPCOMING BLOODSHED. A VILLAGER PER HOUR!_

* * *

**Well, I got inspired and wrote the chapter! I hope my writer's block doesn't come back. Anyways, please READ AND REVIEW! I need to read your OPINIONS, your THOUGHTS, your CRITICS, and your CONGRATULATIONS, in other words, EVERYTHING!**

**Please, please, so please!! Review!**

**Btw, please HEAD TO MY PROFILE and ANSWER the POLL concerning the story BACK HOME!**

**I've also opened up a Forum for NaruShipping! Please ENTER THE FORUM THROUGH a link posted in my PROFILE and deliver your opinions about the different pairings in the Naruto World!**

**Your writer,**

**Snow Astrum**

_**In the next chapter:**_

_**Where are Naruto and Hinata? Who will be the next Akatsuki's victim at Konoha? Will Sasuke and Sakura be able to find the blonde and the Hyuuga heiress? What will Tsunade do about Akatsuki's attack?**_


	14. Flourishing Love

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters… I wish I did.**

**Please, READ AND REVIEW! Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**EDIT: Check the A/N at the end of the chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Flourishing love**

_Immature love says: "I love you because I need you." Mature love says: "I need you because I love you."- Erich Fromm_

* * *

The rain was unstoppable. Everything was gray as tears fell from the sky and the eyes of a white eyed young ninja from the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Her best friend had just hurt Naruto-kun, _her precious Naruto-kun. _She had the right to cry, even if that made look a weakling in the eyes of outsiders.

Uzumaki Naruto was still unconscious. He had no idea how destroyed Hyuuga Hinata was feeling. He had no idea Hyuuga Hinata was considering his health condition her fault. His blonde hair was stained with his blood, his eyes were closed, and resting from the darkness the world was suffering. He felt evil coming from every corner of the Earth, even if he had a demon impregnated in his own body.

The Kyuubi was no longer considered a demon in his own eyes. He was considered more as an advisor, a _nasty _advisor. But, even if he reassured everyone that he was no threat, that the Kyuubi was safe inside him, all of the people who knew about the monster always kept their distance from him. They didn't believe him enough, which was the reason for trying to achieve his greatest dream – becoming Hokage, the most powerful and respected ninja of the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

_**Oi, Kit! You can't die here. We can't die here! Not by a simple wound in your stomach. **_- said the demon fox, his head near the gates' bars, looking at the unconscious Naruto, who rested in front of the cage while the water in the Kyuubi's room was a few inches away from the blonde's nose.

_I can't, Kyuubi… Hinata-chan… That dog-breath… Neji… Sakura-chan… Even that Sasuke-teme... All of them know the truth about you. I-I don't want them to be in danger… I care for them. Just by knowing you are under my protection, they're already in danger. I can't let them risk their lives, they still have a lot to do – they've got to marry, have a family, achieve their most cherished dreams… _- spoke Naruto, his eyes still closed, only letting his mouth move on its own. He had always thought of his friends' lives and how he wanted them to be happy. He didn't need to think to realize why he wanted to die. He didn't deserve such great friends.

__

_**Maybe you're right, kit, but what will happen to your mate? She's waiting for you. Don't you try to listen to her?**_

_Hinata-chan… _- Naruto sighed, as he opened and closed his eyes, not sure of what to believe or what to do.

_**Yes, your dear Hyuuga Hinata. She's been waiting for you these past years. Are you just going to leave her alone? She needs you… and you need her.**_

_I really need her?_

_**Of course you do. You would still be in darkness if it wasn't for the love she has for you. Only by being your mate, she helps you. She acknowledges your strength and your power to do the right thing. She respects you, as a ninja and as a person.**_

_And what do I do to help her? I just hurt her more. _– said Naruto, as he frowned to stop the tears that were about to leave his eyes. - _I just hurt her, more than I should._

_**You're wrong, kit. You help her by loving her back. That's the only thing she needs. That's the only thing her heart has been waiting for. **_– Naruto opened up his eyes to realize the Kyuubi was right, and that he was being _soft. _Kyuubi was never soft, no matter the situation. The blonde raised his spirits by realizing that finally someone really did need him, as a person – as a lover.

_Heh, you're right. Kyuubi! I need your chakra to heal my wound! I can't let Hinata-chan be disappointed of me for giving up._

_**Heh, that's the kit I know. **_

The Kyuubi was surrounded by a blinding light, followed by a soft and relaxing melody – the melody of life. As he recovered from his wound, Naruto couldn't help but close his eyes and let the music take over his body. He started twirling and humming the same melody that his ears could perceive. Soon afterwards, a voice came from the halls of Naruto's inner self. The voice followed the sweet melody and both of them enchanted the blonde. He opened his eyes when he realized whose voice it was.

_Please, Naruto-kun, don't die. I need you. I love you._

* * *

"Please, Naruto-kun, don't die. I need you. I love you." – Hinata whispered to Naruto, whose mouth seemed to have twitched into a small smile. She couldn't help but feel useless, as she always felt around her father – as she had felt when her mother had died.

Who would've thought that her mother, Hyuuga Hitomi, would die from a heart disease? She used to be full of energy, of smiles, and of love. She was the reason Hinata didn't inherit the cold 

hearted ways of the Hyuuga. She was Hinata's safeguard, since she would always defend her from her husband's Hyuuga attitude. Hyuuga Hitomi was a sweet and caring person. Through her personality, she opened Hiashi's heart and let some love and kindness enter his once cold heart, even if the Hyuuga elders considered those feelings as a weakness. You could always believe she would be there for you, and that's why, when she departed from the human world, the entire Hyuuga household was heartbroken.

All of those feelings that chased Hinata since her mother's death where starting to revive as she feared for Naruto's life. _Why does everyone I love and care for the most have to die? Why? Have I done something wrong? _

"Does god hate me?" – whispered the white eyed girl, her tears kept falling over Naruto's face as she caressed his hair.

"N-No, Hinata-chan." – whispered the "unconscious" blonde to Hinata's surprise, who was dumbfounded. – "God could never h-hate you." – Naruto smiled at the Hyuuga heiress, as she cleaned up her tears with her lavender robes and gave him a small smile to reassure him she was all right.

"Naruto-kun!" – yelled a surprised Hinata, before clinging her arms to his neck.

"Hinata-chan! HEY! WAIT! I… c-can't b-b-breathe!" – Naruto said with a low, rasping voice.

Hinata finally let go of Naruto and allowed him to take a breath before fully kissing him on the lips. Naruto quickly responded to the kiss, while his arms hugged her waist and she kept caressing his hair. When the kiss ended, both of them were breathing heavily, with a smile on their faces. Suddenly, both of them deeply inhaled and whispered the same words to each other, for only the significant other to hear:

"_I love you."_

* * *

Both of their faces glowed in pink. They were facing each other in the cold and humid cave, taking in every scent, every imperfection, and every detail of each other's faces. They didn't need to say the love they had for each other. Their eyes expressed the affection they had for each other. Their eyes were full of a twinkle that only seemed to be alive when they were next to each other.

He cupped her face with both of his hands, allowing himself to take in every detail in his lover's face. He caressed her cheeks with both of his thumbs, drawing circles over her soft and pink cheeks. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to enjoy the moment the young man of her dreams was writing in her heart. After all, she had always dreamed of the raven haired young, genius ninja caressing her cheeks, looking at her lovingly, hugging her, even kissing her.

Finally her dream had come true.

He brought both of their faces even closer, allowing them to be apart by mere inches. He gave her a small smile, which made her believe she was heaven, and gave her a small and tender kiss, both of them closing their eyes allowing the feeling to last even longer. Even if they were in the middle of nowhere, inside a cave, while a thunderstorm was occurring just outside their shelter, she loved the feeling of the kiss he was giving her and she returned the kiss, full of the missing passion that had been waiting for the young man for these past two and a half years. His hands snaked towards her waist, hugging her closer to his body, while her arms hugged his neck, neither of them wishing for the moment to end.

The both of them parted from each other, gasping for air. A flash of lighting illuminated both of their faces, which allowed Uchiha Sasuke to take in the heavenly way in which Haruno Sakura's face brightened. Electricity ran down through his spine, as he pulled her closer to himself kissing her more passionately this time. To say that Sakura wasn't surprised for Sasuke's strong desire to kiss her was an understatement, but she didn't gave it a second thought before responding to his love.

Their young and impulsive love would be remembered after their first night together, both of them wrapped in each other's warmth. The life of a ninja was full of risks and death was expected to arrive before in their lives than in the life of a civilian, who has lived a happy and plenty life. They shouldn't mix their emotions with their missions.

Does that mean ninjas aren't allowed to be happy or loved? Or are they allowed to let one of the most important Ninja rules pass without acknowledgment?

_A shinobi must not show emotion in any situation, a shinobi must put the mission first and have a heart that will not allow him to cry._

* * *

An Uzumaki and a Hyuuga.

A demon and a heiress.

The beast and the beauty.

The couple had found themselves a cozy and abandoned cottage in the side of the road, a few miles away from the spot in which they had encountered Kiba. The cottage had a small kitchen with the basic things needed to prepare a simple, yet delicious dinner. It was as if the cottage was prepared to be inhabited by a just-married couple. The cozy home had a small dinner room, filled with a table for two people, a living room, with a small, yet comfortable couch and a small tea table, which was placed in front of the fireplace. Both rooms were painted in cream, a single painting of a waterfall rested in the middle of the wall above the fireplace. The bathroom was located in the first door at the corridor, while the second and last door led to the light blue, master bedroom, which had a queen sized bed in the middle, next to both sides of the bed was a 

drawer, and in the corner of the room a dressing table could be seen. In the walls of the master bedroom were some photographs of the different landscapes in the Fire Country, while, in top of the dressing table, a mirror rested, a bit dusty.

It seemed as if the house had been abandoned a couple of weeks ago, or so had Hinata said.

It was the perfect place for a married couple. At that thought, Naruto grinned. He was sure the white eyed young woman was the _one. _He loved her laugh, the small smile he would always give to him. He loved her white orbs, which were full of mystery and emotion at the same time. He loved seeing her get nervous around him, poking her fingers or avoiding his gaze. He was so desperate to tell her how much he loved her, but he guessed he should wait until their relationship _bloomed._

What he didn't know was that Hinata's train of thought was on the same line.

She was enchanted with the small, cozy and magical place they had found, abandoned, in the middle of the road. She loved to know that she would be spending most of her time in this place, with Naruto by her side.

_Naruto-kun. _

She had waited for so long to be able to be with him, alone, as a couple. In Konoha, there would always be someone around each of them, mostly Kiba. She sighed before returning to the task at hand – preparing dinner. She was preparing Naruto and herself a well deserved meal, instead of that instant ramen Naruto insisted was a healthy food, because it included all of the five main groups of food. She giggled at Naruto's love for ramen.

_He once said I will be a great wife… I will prove that to him._

She kept cooking their homemade curry, while humming softly. Cooking always made her feel happy, because she felt so proud of her cooking skills. She felt confident when she grabbed a knife to cut some vegetables or when she boiled water to prepare tea. Her mother had taught her well enough for her to be able to believe in herself, at least when preparing food. _Naruto-kun will love this, he surely will._

As she kept preparing their dinner, Naruto stared at her in awe. He was amazed at the level of skill Hinata showed when cooking. She even seemed more confident, and she didn't seem to be bothered for preparing their meal. _Maybe cooking is her hobby. _He couldn't stop grinning at the sight of him.

"_Mommy… what will we be having for dinner?" – asked a young boy, about 5 years old, with blonde hair and blue eyes. _

_A woman with long, dark blue hair and white eyes, around her twenties, smiled at the young child and knelt in front of him to take away from his forehead some of his golden locks. "We'll be having your dad's favorite – Homemade Ramen"_

_The child started bouncing around the house, while he yelled: "Yay! Ramen, my favorite too!"_

_Hinata smiled at the blonde's energy. Suddenly, a larger and more muscular blonde appeared through the door and surprised his wife by hugging her waist from behind. She sweetly smiled and turned her head to kiss him lightly on the lips to later return back to her cooking._

"_How was your last mission, Naruto-kun?" – asked Hinata, mixing the ingredients with the pasta._

"_Nothing I can't handle, Mrs. Uzumaki." – said Naruto, before turning his wife and kissing her passionately in the lips._

"_Yuck, you should've told me you were going to do that. It's so disgusting!" – said the child, putting his little hands over his eyes._

"_And there's my little boy!" – said Naruto, before hugging the child closer to himself and ruffling his hair. He then picked the child up in the air and started playing to the airplane with him. The two blondes where laughing uncontrollably._

_The Uzumaki family was incredibly happy._

"Naruto-kun?" – asked Hinata to the daydreaming blonde, who was smiling and staring at nothing in particular. She was starting to get worried for him, he didn't respond to any call she made to him or every wave of her hand in front of his face. – "Are you all right?!"

"Uh? What happened, Hinata-chan?" – asked Naruto, finally waking up from his fantasy. _Damn it, I was about to taste Hinata's delicious, homemade ramen!_

"N-Nothing. You just dozed off and I got worried." – said the shy kunoichi, who smiled at him before returning to cook.

"It's still raining." – said the blonde, somberly, as he gazed at their surroundings through the kitchen window.

"Yeah… I guess we'll be stuck here for a while." – said Hinata, before both of them had the same, little perverted thought.

_We've to find something to do… the two of us._

* * *

"Tsunade-sama!" – said Shizune as she quickly entered the Hokage's office.

"What is, Shizune?! Don't you see I've things to worry about?" – said the Hokage, before drinking a cup of sake while gazing at the village through the large windows of her office.

"I know, Hokage-sama… it's just that…" – muttered Shizune, not having the courage to defy the Hokage's patience.

"Well? I'm waiting."

"Akatsuki…" – whispered Shizune, attracting the Hokage's attention. – "Akatsuki has attacked again, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade growled and rested her forehead in both of her hands. "Who was it?"

"H-Hyuuga Hanabi, Tsunade-sama."

Shizune showed the blonde kunoichi a photo that was taken of the young Hyuuga. In the photo, which had been taken from above, Hanabi's corpse was hanging from a tree with a wire soaked in blood. Her body had been cut everywhere, while the blood that escaped the body fell onto the grass. Another Akatsuki's message, similar to the one found on Gai's corpse, appeared on the floor's blood:

_YOU'RE LOSING… GIVE US WHAT WE WANT!_

"Shit." – mumbled the Hokage, before a very angry and depressed Hyuuga Hiashi entered the Hokage's office.

_Shit… I must do something about Akatsuki or the Village will be destroyed soon._

* * *

**EDIT:**

**There was a doubt concerning Hanabi's character in the story "Back Home". She's proud, confident, and acts coldy towards everyone around her. (Which means she acts as a Hyuuga) She was the possible heir, since her father considers her older sister, Hinata, weaker. Basically, she's the typical Hanabi Hyuuga. Hope that answers the question**

**NEXT CHAPTER: WHEN 98 - 100 REVIEWS ARE ACHIEVED! Come on guys, I need your help! I feel you're not liking the story. Only 5 reviews for this chapter, till now. T.T Pleaseeeeeeeee! Help this story!**

**Thanks to all of those who have reviewed so far! :D Please continue to do so! **

* * *

**There you go! Long chapter! I'm proud of this one, though. Written in only one day! My inspiration came back! hugs inspiration Please, Please! REVIEW! I need to know what you guys are thinking about this fanfic. **

_**Your opinions are the ones who matter the most to me. Send me your advices, your opinions, your critics, your congratulations, even your desperations! I will accept and read each and everyone of them and any doubts will be answered.**_

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**Your writer, Snow Astrum.**


	15. Dreams

"**Back Home" by Melody of Perdition, formerly known as Snow Astrum.**

**I really am a big fat, lousy and procrastinator writer, am I? Well, here I am, trying to break the habit. But, thanks to the Swine Flu, I'm able to write a little, since I don't have any classes. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, places, techniques, etc. They all belong to Kishimoto-sama.**

**R&R Hope you like this chapter!**

**Thanks to all of those who sent me your reviews! I love your support guys!**

* * *

**Chapter 15: Dreams**

"_Love doesn't always come in convenient packages." _

* * *

Two days has passed since the Kiba incident. The rain kept pouring around the little cottage, where Naruto and Hinata had taken shelter. Hinata, being the responsible one of the two, was starting to get anxious – she sensed they needed to let the Village know they were okay.

"Come on, Hinata-chan!" – said Naruto, who lay on the couch next to Hinata, hugging her closely to his chest. – "We must wait until the rainstorm passes, you know that."

"I know, Naruto-kun, I know… It's just… I sense something is wrong." – whispered the heiress to her only love.

"What could go wrong, Hinata-chan? The village is protected by Obaa-chan and many other ninjas. Just think of this as… vacations, ne?" – said Naruto, smirking at the innocent, white eyes of the heiress. She didn't realize the small, but perverted thoughts that were starting to form in Naruto's perverted mind, a legacy he owed to his teacher, Jiraiya. After all, he had spent two and a half years with the most perverted Sennin, the author of the Icha Icha Series.

"But…" – Hinata was about to start to argue, but was cut off by Naruto's lips crashing on hers.

_Maybe he's right._

* * *

"I WANT MY DAUGHTER BACK!" – yelled Hiashi, as he entered the Hokage's office. He had lost his usual composed attitude. _The beast is out. _– thought Shizune, after departing from the office, allowing the Hokage and the Hyuuga head clan to talk. _Or argue._

"Please, Hiashi-sama, calm down." – said a low, deep voice behind the Hyuuga head. It was Neji, who seemed to be on the verge of executing an assassination attack. He surely had heard about the death of his cousin.

"How can I calm down when the heiress of our clan is out there, unprotected and weak?!"- yelled Hiashi, his voice decreasing in tone of voice as he continued. – "And, on top of it… my daughter… Hanabi…"

Tsunade lowered her face, guilt covering all of her features. She had lost one of the most respected ninja, Gai, _except when it came to his dressing style _– thought the Hokage_; _and now, she had lost one of the most important kunoichis in Konoha, Hyuuga Hanabi.

_Akatsuki has killed two people that are, in a way, related to Neji. But, why is Akatsuki attacking Neji if they're after Naruto? Mm… but what links Neji and Naruto in some way?_

"Shizune!" – yelled the Hokage, now aware of the whole Akatsuki plan.

"What is it Hokage-sama?"

"Dispatch two Anbu teams to monitor the Hyuuga house and another one to search for Hinata and Naruto."

"Why around the Hyuuga house, Hokage-sama?" – asked Neji, getting slightly worried at the sudden and unexpected orders the Hokage was giving to her right hand.

"Because I believe they're after Hinata and Naruto." – whispered Tsunade, her voice quivering with worry and fear for the couple.

"Why my daughters?!" – asked Hiashi, glaring at the Hokage. "I demand you to answer me in this instant."

"Not both, only Hinata. She is Akatsuki's bait to attract Naruto to them. They plan on using her to lure the Kyuubi to them."

The office grew deathly quiet, as they took in all the information the Hokage was trying to give them. Hinata was clearly in deep trouble.

* * *

_Pieces of rock lay around a huge seized crater in the middle of nowhere. It seemed to have been a place for an attack. The area was covered with a thick layer of mist, not allowing me to see what had happened or look for traces of life with my bare eyes. _

"_Naruto-kun?" – I asked, fearing for the life of my first and only love. _

_Something inside me told me I shouldn't activate the Byakugan. I didn't know what, but I followed my instincts._

"_Naruto-kun?" – I called again, my worst fears taking over me._

_As I walked towards the crater, I noticed a body lying next to it. A body I knew so well. I started crying, quietly, unable to stop my tears from pouring._

_It was Hanabi._

_And next to her was… Kurenai-sensei and little Asuma's corpses…._

_Suddenly, the mist cleared allowing me to see a destroyed Konoha beneath the shadows of nine cloaked figures. Konoha's buildings were completely destroyed. Beneath the wreckage of the beautiful Konoha, lay the corpses of everyone I knew in the village. Neji-nii-san… Sakura-san… Sasuke-kun… Shino-kun… even Kiba-kun…_

_Konoha had fallen to Akatsuki._

_But, what suddenly caught my eyes was the bright, blonde haired cadaver in the middle of the crater._

"_NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!"_

"Hinata? Hinata, are you all right? Please, open your eyes, it's just a nightmare. Hinata!" – said a voice I knew so well, a voice I could only relate to my salvation.

I opened my eyes to meet with a pair of wide cerulean eyes. Naruto-kun's rough hands cupped my face, allowing me to calm myself after that awful nightmare. He used his soft thumbs to clear my face from the tears. I was crying?

"Hinata-chan…" – he said soothingly – "What's the matter? Are you all right?"

As I let his words sink, I couldn't stop more tears from falling down my cheeks. Suddenly, I was no longer lying beneath Naruto-kun, but I found myself sitting on his lap, my face on his chest, his arms caressing my back.

"It's ok, Hinata-chan… It was just a dream."

"N-no d-dream N-N-Naruto-o-k-k-kun" – I whispered to him, stuttering my answer as the tears kept falling. "N-N-Night-tmar-re. A r-r-real n-nightma-r-e…"

"Uh? What are you talk about, Hinata-chan? Nightmares aren't real."

"T-This one was…"

"Then tell me what your nightmare was about, Hinata-chan." – said Naruto-kun, allowing me to see his kind cerulean eyes, signaling me to tell him… that he would listen.

As I told him my nightmare, I couldn't help but sense how Naruto-kun's arms around me tensed from time to time. I was sure he was also worried about Konoha and its citizens. I skipped the part where I saw his body lying in the middle of the crater. I didn't want him to know that. I didn't want him to know I was worried about him too, not only about Konoha.

I calmed down a little, which allowed me to say to him, with a voice full of confidence:

"We must go back."

"What?! You just dreamt about the destruction of Konoha and you want to go back to be one of those dead bodies lying around? No, No… No way am I going to let you go, Hinata-chan… Not now that I've found you."

"We can't hide in here Naruto-kun. We must aid while we can."

"B-But why are you so sure that Konoha is under attack, Hinata-chan? It's just a nightmare, don't worry…" – he said, trying with his soothing and beautiful voice to make me forget what my sleep had brought.

I glared at him, at least the best I could. He closed his eyes, thinking profoundly about everything I had said to him. He seemed to have understood what I had meant with that little, pitiful glare of mine.

"Fine." – He said, his eyes still closed. I was sure my eyes were glowing with relief. We were going back to help Konoha! – "But you will stay here, Hinata-chan. I don't want you in danger."

* * *

Whimper.

"What is it, Akamaru?" – asked Kiba, who was packing his things to be able to continue his trip.

Bark, bark, bark!

"What you telling me? That I need to go and help Konoha after becoming a missing nin?" – Kiba howled in laughter at his companion's innocence.

Bark!

"You… You're serious, aren't you?"

Bark, bark!

"Damn it…"

_Why now? Why Akatsuki? Why when Kurenai-sensei can't defend herself or little Asuma? Hinata…_

A bitter thought invaded Kiba's mind

_What does it matter? Hinata is now with Naruto, he will protect her. Pssht._

"Nothing is left for me at Konoha."

As if voicing his thoughts, Akamaru barked louder than before.

"You're right, I still have my sister and Shino… and Kurenai and little Asuma… and the rest of the Village."

_Damn it… Akamaru is right, Konoha will need all the help it can get._

* * *

Sasuke was glaring the small fire that they had created to keep themselves warm in the middle of the storm.

And he kept glaring.

And glaring.

He didn't even notice when Sakura woke up, using his jacket to cover her nude body. She stared at him, worry evident in her eyes. She had never seen Sasuke so worked up, glaring at everything he could. She even feared that he could glare at her. _It would break my heart if he glares at me that way._

Something had bothered Sasuke. He had been in the exact same condition after they had… Sakura blushed. She would always remember the first night they spent together. He had been so gentle and loving with her.

But something seemed to bother Sasuke, taking away from her the pleasant feeling of having slept with Sasuke. _My Sasuke-kun!_

She looked around the little cave, looking for her clothes. She started dressing up, until Sasuke came from behind her and started kissing her neck, slowly. _God, how does he do it?_

"A-Ano, Sasuke-kun?" – she asked, her voice quivering under the gentle kisses he planted on her neck.

"Hn."

"What's wrong?"

Sasuke stopped planting kisses on her neck, thinking deeply about his answer, until he said: "I don't know what you're talking about."

Sakura rolled her eyes. _Gee, he's going to start acting like a jerk again._

"Come on, Sasuke-kun. We're over that, already. Tell me what's wrong with you."

In a matter of seconds, Sakura found herself sitting on her boyfriend's lap. He caressed her side with one hand, while the other caressed her pink locks. Being with him could easily distract her from everything. _But not this time, CHA! _– thought Inner Sakura.

"Sasuke-kun?"

He sighed, before heavily declaring: "We need to go back."

* * *

_Naruto-kun! How could you?! How could you?!_

Stomped Hinata around the cottage, glaring and cursing at everything she could. _How could you?! _She sat down on the couch she had been sharing with Naruto prior those moments. She eyed the door. In front of her, guarding the door was a couple of shadow clones, courtesy of her boyfriend. He had dictated that she should not, by any means, leave the cottage. _"It's safer this way."_

She wasn't used to this level of overprotective actions. Sure, her cousin, Neji, could be an overprotective jerk sometimes, but he didn't leave her locked in her room, because he felt _"It's safer this way." _

Behind his actions, though, Hinata knew that Naruto was overprotective with her since he cared for her. He was worried that something might happen to her. He was afraid of losing her.

But hell, she could take care of herself. She was a Kunoichi!

_I bet that, if I was Sakura-san, he would've let me go and help him. But, oh no, just because I'm his girlfriend, he thinks he can order me around. Well, his wrong. I must help Konoha too, it's my duty._

She thought, thinking of a clever way to fool both clones, who kept their azure stare on her.

"_You'll be watching her at all times."_

* * *

**Phew! I did it. It feels great to finally be able to update this story. I really want to finish, it's just a matter of time, so please, bear with me.**

**I hope you liked this chapter. It's difficult for me to continue, after I know what happened in the Manga (She did it!) , but I will keep going on until I finish.**

**I hope you leave your comments; all of them will be appreciated. Also, you should check out the new poll on my profile page.**

**Stay tuned for more chapters of "Back Home"!**

**Yours,**

**Melody of Perdition.**

**Formerly known as Snow Astrum.**


	16. Distance

"**Back Home" **

**by Melody of Perdition, formerly known as Snow Astrum.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, places, techniques, etc. They all belong to Kishimoto-sama.**

**Thanks to Rose Tiger and GoingGhost, who reviewed the last chapter! I would also like to thank all of those who added "Back Home" to their favorite stories' list! **_**Arigato Gozaimasu!**_

* * *

**Chapter 16: Distance**

_"No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the love of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth." Robert Southey_

* * *

_I can't believe this._

Thought Neji, as he peered through one of the windows that faced the main door of the Hyuuga Compound. In just a couple of hours, two Anbu squads, hidden in the small forest in front of the mansion, kept looking out for any suspects that could threaten his life or any of the Hyuugas.

"_Especially you, Neji. You must be the next target. I order you to stay in the Hyuuga Compound. You shall NEVER, and I repeat, NEVER leave the mansion. Do you understand?"_

Neji sighed, his eyes showing boredom and exasperation as he gazed at the guardians imposed by the Hokage. Even without the Byakugan, he could see them. After all, he was considered a prodigy among his generation. Still, with his status as the Hyuuga prodigy, he was under house arrest and couldn't do anything to stop Hanabi's murderers. He couldn't even go and search for Hinata, who was _who knows where _with _that stupid Naruto_, supposedly on a mission. His mission, as part of the Hyuuga family, was to protect the Head of Clan's daughters. _My cousins._

_And one of them is dead and the other one could be dead. _

He broke his gaze on the Anbu teams and retreated to the training room. Just the thought of Naruto kidnapping his cousin made his want to kick someone's ass.

_Especially a knucklehead's ass._

Just as he was about to enter the Hyuuga training room, he found himself face to face with none other than Shikamaru Nara.

"Hyuuga."

"Nara, what are you doing here?"

"It's very troublesome, but I need to ask you something." – said the Chunnin, running a hand through his dark locks. Neji remained silent, as an indication for Shikamaru to continue. The strategist sighed before continuing. – "Is Hinata in danger?"

This question surprised the Hyuuga Jounin. _How did he arrive to the same conclusion as the Hokage?_

"We believe so."

"Psht, then don't worry about her." – said Shikamaru, before introducing his hands on his pants' pockets and starting walking towards the exit. – "Naruto will surely take care of her."

"How do you know that?" – asked Neji, watching him leave.

"It's too troublesome." - He answered, before leaving in the Hyuuga compound a very confused Neji Hyuuga.

_How could it be too troublesome to explain?_

The thing is Neji couldn't understand what it meant to be head over heels with someone. Of course, he has a girlfriend at this moment, but he's still the same coldhearted, but not as much as in the Chunnin exams when they were twelve years old, ninja. Shikamaru could only find that kind of crazy love _too troublesome, _since he felt that way towards a certain kunoichi. But, Neji thought that Shikamaru found everything _too troublesome_, so he didn't gave the matter a big importance.

What he didn't realize, at that moment, was that Naruto would always protect Hinata because he was irrevocably in love with her.

The crazy things love can make you do.

* * *

Sunset was approaching the traveling ninja. He kept jumping from one tree's branch to another with the top speed he could manage. Every 5 minutes he would check on Hinata through his clone's point of view. He softly smiled every time he watched her.

_Hehe… She looks even cuter when she's mad._

_**Ugh, you had to get all lovey-dovey, right? **_– said a deep voice in Naruto's consciousness. The blonde smiled even more, unconsciously, as he realized his mood was even able to tolerate the Kyuubi's nasty comments. _And it's all thanks to Hinata-chan._

_And her smile._

_And her cooking._

_And her shyness._

_And her…_

_**Oh, stop it kit! You're making me sick.**_

Naruto was about to retort to the Kyuubi when he smelled something unusual that was hanging in the air. It was a disgusting smell that was repulsive to his sensitive nose. He stopped in the middle of a clearing, trying to capture the smell so he could be able to trace it.

_It might be Akatsuki. Gah! I wish I had Kiba's tracking ability._

_**Just clear your thoughts from anything and you can manage to have at least half of his ability, kit. Forget your worries, your mate, just for a moment and focus.**_

Naruto did as he was told, obeying the low-deep voice of the Kyuubi's mentoring. He, painfully, detached himself from Hinata and all the memories they had shared in the past two days. He forgot Sasuke's return, Sakura's happiness after the missing Nin's return, and even his oath to avenge his teacher's death.

_**Focus, kit. Focus. Send all of your senses to focus only on your nose.**_

After one minute, Naruto opened his eyes and focused on following the trail he could actually _see _of the smell's origin. He continued running at top speed, until he reached a big fire that had been made with a fire ninjutsu. In the middle of the burning flames, he could see a decaying corpse. _Something's wrong._ No one was around the area, so he got closer, only to drop down on his knees, next to the cadaver.

Hinata was right.

Everything was wrong.

Chouji's burning corpse was printed with Akatsuki's signature.

_Just hand in the Kyuubi and we'll leave the Village alone._

* * *

"You were right, Hinata-chan." – said one of Naruto's clones. I looked at the one that had spoken, feeling the way color drained from my face. I felt I was about to hear bad news. Unconsciously, my hand rested on my chest, in front of where my heart is, in form of a prayer.

Please, don't let anything go wrong, God. I ask you to protect everyone who's important to me.

I was barely able to manage to choke out my question: "W-What h-happened?"

"I…" – the clone sighed, clearly noticing the way I stuttered. I guessed Naruto-kun was backing out on telling me. I looked down at the floor, before the clone continued: "I… I found Chouji."

"Chouji?! How is he? Is he ok?"

A moment of silence, before he answered: "He's dead, Hinata-chan."

Dead. Dead. Dead.

Suddenly, everything blacked out for me.

_It's my fault. I'm not there to help them. If I was there… _- I kept listening to my voice in the middle of the darkness that had appeared before me.

_**If you were there, you would've ended up dead.**_– said a deep, unapproving voice I knew so well. Tears started forming on my eyes, I could feel them, but I wasn't able to remove them. I didn't want him to see me crying. I didn't want him to see how weak I was at the moment.

_**You're always and will always be weak, Hinata. I know I made the right choice when I decided to make Hanabi the heiress.**_

I kept crying, trying to hug myself as I usually did after facing my father's disgusted face when I failed during a mission. But I couldn't. I couldn't even comfort myself. I was alone and unable to move. I couldn't feel anything but the agonizing pain of being unable to do something. I felt weak.

_**You are weak, Hinata. Admit it. **_

_No, no, no! That's not true. I'm stronger than I used to be. I'm a Chunnin._

My father's voice cackled, before answering with the same voice he had used before: _**It doesn't matter if you're a Chunnin. You're still weak and will always be weaker than your little sister. You'll always be a lot weaker than Neji, a branch member. You can't even give him a proper fight. You are on your knees after five minutes. You're weak, Hinata, and that doesn't meet up with the standards of how strong my daughters should be. You don't deserve to be called a Hyuuga. You're a failure to our family.**_

I felt as if I was drowning in the middle of that darkness. I couldn't stop it from happening. Part of me, didn't want to stop myself from drowning. I was about to embrace Death, when a loud, worried voice I knew so well talked to me:

_Hinata-chan! Wake up. You're all I have. Please, I need you._

_Naruto-kun…_

_Come on, Hinata-chan! You're stronger than that! Keep fighting._

_You're right, Naruto-kun. Thank you._

I opened my eyes only to see two deep azure pools full of worry. I smiled at him, before whispering: "I'm all right, Naruto-kun. Be careful."

Again, Naruto-kun had saved me. It was my turn to save him.

What I didn't know at that moment was that love could make me do stupid mistakes.

* * *

"What?! Leave? Why?" – Sakura anxiously asked to her silent lover. He kept caressing her and carrying her on his lap. He hadn't said anything after he had declared they should leave. He kept confusing her. _Just when I thought we were finally understanding each other._

_**You can't assure that just by having sex with him, you know.**_

_We didn't have sex! We did love. It's different._

_**Sure, sure. **_

"I correct myself."

"Huh?"

"I have to go back." – He declared, leaving Sakura completely confused. She reproduced his words over and over in her head. _What about me?_

"What's the matter, Sasuke-kun? Something happened, right?"

He remained silent for a while, before answering: "Itachi is in Konoha."

"But… But I thought…" – Sakura was about to retort, but was interrupted by his deep, menacing voice.

"Just because I had sex with you, doesn't mean I no longer want to revenge my family's death."

Sakura flinched and looked at the fire. She climbed off his lap and gazed at the cloudy landscape that could be seen from the outside of the cave they were hiding in. Sasuke sighed before appearing behind her and hugging her from her waist, leaning her upper body on his torso.

"I'm… I'm sorry, Sakura. I didn't mean to say it that way. It's just…"

"I know… Avenging your clan is still your priority."

A moment of silence passed by, before she continued: "What about me?"

Sasuke kissed her cheek and tightened his hold on her. "You should continue searching for Hinata and Naruto. I feel they're very close from this spot. You must finish our mission."

"But… your brother is searching Naruto. It wouldn't be wise to return with that knucklehead if your brother and the other Akatsuki members are in Konoha."

"I know. You just find them and accompany them to accomplish their personal mission."

"But, it might take months."

"And in those months the Village will be able to recover from the attack." – He said, before pulling away from her, to be able to put on his jacket and grab his katana.

"Sasuke-kun…" – Sakura whispered, standing in the entrance of the cave, in the same position the raven haired ninja had left her.

"I love you, Sakura." – Sasuke said, before kissing her passionately on the lips and running at full speed towards the Village. _But I must first kill Itachi so I can be sure you're safe._

"I love you too, Sasuke-kun…" – she whispered to no one, but herself. The emotive moment was interrupted by the loud voice in her head:

_**I told you. It was sex, not love.**_

_Go to hell._

* * *

Naruto ran as fast as he could until he reached the main gates of the Village. He entered without stopping to salute the ninjas that were guarding the entrance. He kept running until he reached the Hokage's office, where a tired Hokage was drinking away all of her worries with sake. When he pushed the door open, Tsuande looked up at him with anger on her eyes, until she realized it was him. Her eyes changed from anger to… worry, maybe?

"Naruto, when did you…"

The blonde interrupted her with his serious stare, still panting from the long run he made. When he recovered his breath and she noticed Naruto's attitude, he told her what he had found on the forest on his way back to the Village. _Chouji…_

When he finished, there was a moment of silence in which he expected her to start yelling out orders to Shizune, who was just outside the office. Instead, she looked through the big windows behind her desk and heavily sighed. He swore he heard her say "_I'm too old for this"_, but he didn't ask her anything. _She really is old. I can see the deep wrinkles on her face._

"Obaa-chan?"

"Gai and Hanabi Hyuuga also appeared dead, with a message resembling the one you found on Chouji."

"Gai-sensei? Hinata-chan's sister?" – asked Naruto, a clear puzzled look adorned his face, especially his deep, azure eyes.

Tsunade turned her chair to be able to look at him, before proceeding:

"Naruto, they're clearly after you. They're using all the people you know to lure you to them."

"I know, but why Hinata-chan's sister?"

"Because their most important target, aside from you, is Hinata. They know she's your weakness. They know you would follow them if her life depended on it."

Naruto gaped at her. Just by loving her, she was in danger?

"Right now, we even have Neji and the whole Hyuuga clan under surveillance. We are worried for their safety, especially those closely linked to Hinata. I know she's important to you, Naruto, but we must protect her…"

"Don't worry. She's under, what you could, call house arrest, Obaa-chan." – smirked Naruto.

Tsunade was about to say something when the door wildly opened and there, in the entrance of the office, was the blonde's best friend and rival, panting heavily with sweat running down his cheeks.

"Sasuke!" – yelled Naruto, clearly glad of seeing his friend in the critical situation the Village was under.

He smirked with his Uchiha arrogance and stood up next to the blonde. The Hokage stared at them, before standing up from her chair and crossing her arms beneath her breasts. "Well, this will be interesting. You're back to avenge your clan, right?" – She asked the Uchiha, who nodded in response. – "Good, what we've got to do now is…"

"Shit!" – yelled the blonde so suddenly. The Hokage and the Avenger stared at him, full of curiosity, before he explained: "Hinata escaped! She's on her way."

"Damn it, how do you know, Naruto?" – asked Tsunade.

"My clones disappeared. She must have taken them down. Gee, my girlfriend is really strong." – said Naruto, worry filling his voice while he ran his hand through his golden locks. _I will have to take care from her from now on. But I should've expected it… Damn it, I should've taken precautions._

"Then that means Sakura is also on her way." – said Sasuke, in a deep, pissed voice.

"Why you say that, teme?"

"Because their orders, Naruto, were to track you down and bring you back, along with Kiba." – She answered for the Uchiha, before sighing and drinking what was left in the bottle of sake. – "Well, this really changes things."

Both of the young ninjas showed their worry for their loved ones. Sasuke kept whispering obscene words to no one in particular, while the blonde kept looking down at the floor, finding his feet more interesting than anything else. _They sure are a weird pair._

_Oh, Jiraiya, I wish you could see how they've grown. I wish you could see how the new generation takes the world in their hands._

* * *

**Well, another chapter for you guys! I can't stop thanking all of you for keeping up with me and my story. I hope you liked this chapter and I expect to hear from you through your reviews or, if you want, you can even pm!**

**Thanks for keeping up with me. Please keep reading and reviewing!**

**Yours,**

**Melody of Perdition.**

**Formerly known as Snow Astrum.**


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